[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Mating Assurance System And Method

Technical Field and Background:
The subject matter herein relates generally to mating assurance systems and methods. Insuring that mating pairs of electrical connectors are mated properly is important in electrical systems, particularly in electrical systems that exhibit vibration during operation, such as in automotive applications. For example, an electrical connector can be partially mated during a car assembly process, such as in a car assembly factory, and can pass conventional electrical assurance tests, such as tests that pass electrical signals through the electrical connectors to determine electrical connection of the connectors. However, once in operation, the car vibration can cause the electrical connectors to come loose and cause failure. Conventional assembly methods for electrical connectors provide a mating mechanism, such as a latch, that produces a click when the latch latches in place. However, in an assembly situation, a worker may not properly hear the click due to background factory noises, or could confuse the click with other sounds that closely resemble a connector click. Some known systems use a double casing of the connector, where a second case only fits if the electrical connectors were properly mated. However, such systems have increased cost associated with the second case and increased labor time to assemble. A need remains for a mating assurance system and method to detect proper mating of electrical connectors.

Invention Disclosure:
A mating assurance system includes first and second microphones configured to be located in a vicinity of a mating zone for electrical connectors. The first microphone is located a first distance from the mating zone and the second microphone being located a second distance from the mating zone. The first and second microphones are configured to detect audible sound when the electrical connectors are mated. An output unit is connected to the first and second microphones and receives audio signals from the first and second microphones. The output unit processes the audio signals from the first microphone and from the second microphone for mating assurance.

[Assistant]
1. A mating assurance system comprising:
first and second microphones configured to be located in a vicinity of a mating zone for electrical connectors, the first microphone being located a first distance from the mating zone and the second microphone being located a second distance from the mating zone, the first and second microphones configured to detect audible sound when the electrical connectors are mated; and
an output unit connected to the first and second microphones and receiving audio signals from the first and second microphones, the output unit processing the audio signals from the first microphone and from the second microphone for mating assurance, wherein the output unit compares the audio signals from the first microphone with the audio signals from the second microphone for mating assurance.

2. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the output unit determines a direction of origination of the audible sounds.

3. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the output unit compares the audio signals from the first microphone with the audio signals from the second microphone to determine a direction of origination of the audible sounds.

4. The mating assurance system of claim 3, wherein the output unit ignores audio signals determined to originate from a direction other than the mating zone.

5. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the output unit determines a mating orientation of the electrical connectors based on the audio signals from at least one of the first microphone and the second microphone.

6. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the output unit determines an origination distance from the electrical connectors to the second microphone based on a timed difference between receipt of the audible sound at the first microphone and receipt of the audible sound at the second microphone.

7. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the first microphone is configured to be worn by an assembler proximate to the assembler's finger tips and the second microphone is configured to be worn by the assembler proximate to the assembler's wrist.

8. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the output unit filters background noise based on the time the audio signals are received at the first microphone and at the second microphone.

9. The mating assurance system of claim 1, further comprising a third microphone configured to be located in the vicinity of the mating zone, the output unit connected to the third microphone and receiving audio signals from the third microphone, the output unit processing the audio signals from the third microphone.

10. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the microphone detects the audible sound that occurs when a latch of one electrical connector latches to the corresponding electrical connector.

11. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the output unit provides at least one of visual feedback to an assembler at a display screen and audio feedback to an assembler at a speaker based on the audio signals.

12. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the output unit compares the audio signal to a plurality of templates to determine the type of electrical connectors mated.

13. The mating assurance system of claim 1, wherein the output unit compares the audio signal to a plurality of templates to determine the orientation of the electrical connectors.

14. A mating assurance system comprising:
first and second microphones configured to be located in a vicinity of a mating zone for electrical connectors, the first and second microphones configured to detect audible sound; and
an output unit connected to the first and second microphones and receiving audio signals from the first and second microphones, the output unit processing the audio signals from the first microphone and from the second microphone to determine a direction of origination of the audible sounds, and the output unit compares the audio signals from the first microphone with the audio signals from the second microphone for mating assurance.

15. The mating assurance system of claim 14, wherein the output unit determines an origination distance from the electrical connectors to the second microphone based on a timed difference between receipt of the audible sound at the first microphone and receipt of the audible sound at the second microphone.

16. A method of detecting electrical connector mating, the method comprising:
positioning a first microphone in a vicinity of a mating zone for the electrical connectors;
positioning a second microphone in a vicinity of the mating zone for the electrical connectors;
detecting audible sounds with the first and second microphones when the electrical connectors are mated;
transmitting audio signals based on the audible sounds detected by the first and second microphones to an output unit;
processing the audio signals from the first and second microphones at the output unit by comparing the audio signals from the first microphone with the audio signals from the second microphone for mating assurance.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said processing the audio signals comprises determining a time difference between receipt of the audible sound at the first microphone and receipt of the audible sound at the second microphone.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said processing the audio signals comprises determining a direction of origination of the sound by comparing the audio signals of the first and second microphones.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Secondary Synchronization Codebook For E-Utran

Technical Field and Background:
I. Field The following relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to determining a secondary synchronization codebook for selecting secondary synchronization codes for a radio network site. II. Background Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as, e.g., voice content, data content, and so on. Typical wireless communication systems can be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access systems can include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and the like. Generally, wireless multiple-access communication systems can simultaneously support communication for multiple mobile devices. Each mobile device can communicate with one or more base stations via transmissions on forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from base stations to mobile devices, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from mobile devices to base stations. Further, communications between mobile devices and base stations can be established via single-input single-output (SISO) systems, multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, and so forth. MIMO systems commonly employ multiple (N T ) transmit antennas and multiple (N R ) receive antennas for data transmission. A MIMO channel formed by the N T transmit and N R receive antennas can be decomposed into N S independent channels, which can be referred to as spatial channels, where N S ≦{N T , N R }. Each of the N S independent channels corresponds to a dimension. Moreover, MIMO systems can provide improved performance (e.g., increased spectral efficiency, higher throughput and/or greater reliability) if additional dimensionalities created by the multiple transmit and receive antennas are utilized. Improved performance, throughput and reliability provided by multi-transmission wireless access sites can also introduce additional system complexities. For instance, where multiple base stations are transmitting within a common area, and such transmissions are received by a single device, a mechanism to distinguish between such transmissions can be required. Further, a means to distinguish and/or identify one base station from another can be required. One mechanism for identifying a base station(s) and distinguishing received transmissions is by employing channel synchronization. Synchronization can include, in some instances, a primary synchronization code (PSC) that includes frequency and timing information for a transmission, and a secondary synchronization code (SSC) that provides base station identity. In such instances, a device can distinguish and decode one or more transmissions in a multi-transmitter environment by way of the PSC and/or SSC.

Invention Disclosure:
Providing for secondary synchronization encoding utilizing a primary synchronization channel (P-SCH)-related scrambling code is described herein. Scrambled secondary synchronization codes (SSCs) can be assigned to multiple base stations of a radio access network (RAN). By way of example, PSC-based scrambling codes can be created from a plurality of M-sequences generated from a common polynomial expression. Further, an SSC codebook is provided that selects sequence pairs of a sequence matrix for generating SSCs. Selection can be based on transmission characteristics of resulting SSCs, providing reduced interference in planned, semi-planned and/or unplanned mobile deployments.

[Assistant]
1. An apparatus for mitigating synchronization code interference in a wireless communication system, comprising:
a processor configured to:
select a pair of sequences;
generate scrambling codes;
wherein the scrambling codes comprise at least a primary synchronization code (PSC)-based scrambling code;
scramble the pair of sequences using the scrambling codes, thereby providing a scrambled pair of sequences;
combine the scrambled pair of sequences via interleaving to form a secondary synchronization code (SSC); and
transmit, by a base station, the SSC to at least one user equipment; and
a memory coupled to the processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pair of sequences comprise cyclic shifted variations of a base sequence.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pair of sequences is selected based on at least one projected interference characteristic of the SSC.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PSC-based scrambling code is generated based on sequences that are identified by indices associated with the PSC.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the PSC-based scrambling code is based on a cyclic shift of a base sequence.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is additionally configured to map the SSC to an over-the-air message.

7. A method for mitigating synchronization code interference in a wireless communication system, comprising:
selecting a pair of sequences;
generating scrambling codes;
wherein the scrambling codes comprise at least a primary synchronization code (PSC)-based scrambling code;
scrambling the pair of sequences using the scrambling codes, thereby providing a scrambled pair of sequences;
combining the scrambled pair of sequences via interleaving to form a secondary synchronization code (SSC); and
transmitting, by a base station, the SSC to at least one user equipment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pair of sequences comprise cyclic shifted variations of a base sequence.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the pair of sequences is selected based on at least one projected interference characteristic of the SSC.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the PSC-based scrambling code is generated based on sequences that are identified by indices associated with the PSC.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the PSC-based scrambling code is based on a cyclic shift of a base sequence.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising mapping the SSC to an over-the-air message.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Signal Conversion Device And Method, Signal Generating System And Display Apparatus

Technical Field and Background:
When driving a liquid crystal display panel, it is required to use a signal generating system to convert a video or image into LVDS signals for driving the liquid crystal display panel. Generally, the signal generating system comprises a graphic processing main chip, a RGB pixel signal transmitting chip and a signal conversion chip. The graphic processing main chip is configured for converting a video or image into RGB signals, the RGB pixel signal transmitting chip is configured for transmitting the received RGB pixel signals to the signal conversion chip, and the signal conversion chip is capable of converting the received RGB pixel signals into LVDS signals for driving the liquid crystal display panel. At present, a liquid crystal display panel with a size smaller than 42 inch may be driven by using 8-bit LVDS signals. With the user's demand on a large-sized display device, a liquid crystal display panel with a size more than 42 inch has occurred. Since the increase of size of the liquid crystal display panel, 10-bit LVDS signals are required to drive the liquid crystal display panel with a size more than 42 inch. Therefore, an apparatus for producing the signal generating system for generating 8-bit LVDS signals cannot be used any longer, wasting resources. Hence, how to continue to use the existing signal generating system to drive a liquid crystal display panel with a larger size has become a technical problem to be solved urgently.

Invention Disclosure:
The present invention discloses a signal conversion device, a signal conversion method, a signal generating system and a display apparatus. The signal conversion device comprises: a pixel signal transmitting chip transmitting a plurality of pixel signals arranged in a first arrangement order; a patch unit rearranging the plurality of pixel signals in second arrangement order; a signal conversion chip converting the plurality of pixel signals arranged in the first or second arrangement order into a display signal packet in a first or second predetermined format; and a signal generating and outputting unit converting the display signal packet in the second predetermined format into display signal packet in a third predetermined format.

[Assistant]
1. A signal conversion device, comprising a pixel signal transmitting chip configured for receiving and transmitting a plurality of pixel signals of n colors, which are arranged in a first arrangement order; and a signal conversion chip capable of converting the plurality of pixel signals arranged in the first arrangement order into a display signal packet in a first predetermined format and outputting the display signal packet to drive a display device with a predetermined size,
wherein the signal conversion device further comprises:
a patch unit, which has input terminals connected to output terminals of the pixel signal transmitting chip, and is configured for rearranging the plurality of pixel signals in the first arrangement order into pixel signals in a second arrangement order and outputting the rearranged pixel signals;
a signal conversion chip capable of converting the plurality of pixel signals arranged in the second arrangement order into a display signal packet in a second predetermined format; and
a signal generating and outputting unit configured for generating a display signal packet in a third predetermined format from the display signal packet in the second predetermined format output from the signal conversion chip, and dividing the generated display signal packet into groups and outputting the same so as to drive a display device with a size larger than the predetermined size, wherein
in the display signal packet in the first predetermined format and the display signal packet in the second predetermined format, display data corresponding to pixel signals of each color includes M bits, M is an even number, and in the display signal packet in the second predetermined format, a total n*M bits of display data are divided into M/2 groups and the signal conversion chip outputs the M/2 groups of display data;
in the display signal packet in the third predetermined format, display data corresponding to pixel signals of each color includes N bits, N is an even number and larger than M, and in the display signal packet in the third predetermined format, a total n*N bits of display data are divided into N/2 groups, the lowest (N−M) bits of display data of each color are in the last (N−M)/2 groups, and are noise small analog signals;
the M/2 groups of display data in the display signal packet in the second predetermined format correspond to the first M/2 groups of display data in the display signal packet in the third predetermined format one to one, and any display data in the display signal packet in the second predetermined format is lower than a corresponding display data in the display signal packet in the third predetermined format by (N−M) bits.

2. The signal conversion device of claim 1, wherein
the pixel signal transmitting chip has n*M output terminals, each of which is configured for outputting a pixel signal;
the patch unit has n*M input terminals and n*M output terminals, the n*M input terminals of the patch unit are connected to the n*M output terminals of the pixel signal transmitting chip in one-to-one correspondence, the n*M input terminals and the n*M output terminals of the patch unit are connected in one-to-one correspondence through connection channels according to a predetermined rule, so that the pixel signals input in the first arrangement order are output in the second arrangement order;
the signal conversion chip has n*M input terminals, the n*M input terminals of the signal conversion chip are connected to the n*M output terminals of the patch unit in one-to-one correspondence.

3. The signal conversion device of claim 2, wherein
the patch unit comprises a patch plate including two sets of pads, each set of pads include n*M pads, one set of pads function as input terminals of the patch plate, and the other set of pads function as output terminals of the patch plate, and the one set of pads are communicated with the other set of pads in one-to-one correspondence according to the predetermined rule.

4. The signal conversion device of claim 3, wherein
the patch unit further comprises a resistor network detachably connected with the patch plate, the resistor network includes n*M resistors which are connected between the n*M output terminals of the pixel signal transmitting chip and the n*M input terminals of the signal conversion chip in one-to-one correspondence, resistances of wires on the patch plate connected between the input terminals and corresponding output terminals of the patch plate are smaller than those of the resistors, and when the patch plate is detached, the pixel signal transmitting chip is capable of outputting the pixel signals in the first arrangement order to the signal conversion chip through the resistor network.

5. The signal conversion device of claim 4, wherein the display signal packet is a low voltage differential signal packet.

6. The signal conversion device of claim 5, wherein
n is 3, the pixel signal transmitting chip is configured for receiving pixel signals of three colors of red, green and blue and transmitting the same, the first predetermined format is a VESA format, the third predetermined format is a JEIDA format, M is 8 and N is 10.

7. The signal conversion device of claim 3, wherein the display signal packet is a low voltage differential signal packet.

8. The signal conversion device of claim 7, wherein
n is 3, the pixel signal transmitting chip is configured for receiving pixel signals of three colors of red, green and blue and transmitting the same, the first predetermined format is a VESA format, the third predetermined format is a JEIDA format, M is 8 and N is 10.

9. The signal conversion device of claim 2, wherein the display signal packet is a low voltage differential signal packet.

10. The signal conversion device of claim 9, wherein
n is 3, the pixel signal transmitting chip is configured for receiving pixel signals of three colors of red, green and blue and transmitting the same, the first predetermined format is a VESA format, the third predetermined format is a JEIDA format, M is 8 and N is 10.

11. The signal conversion device of claim 1, wherein the display signal packet is a low voltage differential signal packet.

12. The signal conversion device of claim 11, wherein
n is 3, the pixel signal transmitting chip is configured for receiving pixel signals of three colors of red, green and blue and transmitting the same, the first predetermined format is a VESA format, the third predetermined format is a JEIDA format, M is 8 and N is 10.

13. A signal generating system comprising a image processing main chip and a signal conversion device, the image processing main chip is configured for converting a video or image into pixel signals and transmitting the pixel signals to a pixel signal transmitting chip of the signal conversion device, wherein the signal conversion device is the signal conversion device of claim 1.

14. A display apparatus comprising a display panel and a signal generating system, wherein the signal generating system is the signal generating system of claim 13, the display panel comprises a display signal input interface including N/2 channels, and the M/2 output terminals of the signal conversion chip are respectively connected to the first M/2 channels of the display signal input interface in one-to-one correspondence.

15. The display apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a storage unit configured for prestoring a video or image, wherein output terminals of the storage unit are connected to the input terminals of the image processing main chip.

16. A signal conversion method comprising a step of converting a plurality of pixel signals arranged in a first arrangement order into a display signal packet in a first predetermined format to drive a display device with a predetermined size, wherein the signal conversion method further comprises steps of:
rearranging the plurality of pixel signals of n colors in the first arrangement order into pixel signals in a second arrangement order;
converting the plurality of pixel signals arranged in the second arrangement order into a display signal packet in a second predetermined format;
generating a display signal packet in a third predetermined format from the display signal packet in the second predetermined format, and dividing the generated display signal packet into groups and outputting the same so as to drive a display device with a size larger than the predetermined size, wherein
in the display signal packet in the first predetermined format and the display signal packet in the second predetermined format, display data corresponding to pixel signals of each colors includes M bits, M is an even number, and in the display signal packet in the second predetermined format, a total n*M bits of display data are divided into M/2 groups;
in the display signal packet in the third predetermined format, display data corresponding to pixel signals of each color includes N bits, N is an even number and larger than M, and in the display signal packet in the third predetermined format, a total n*N bits of display data are divided into N/2 groups, the lowest (N−M) bits of display data of each color are in the last (N−M)/2 groups, and are noise small analog signals;
the M/2 groups of display data in the display signal packet in the second predetermined format correspond to the first M/2 groups of display data in the display signal packet in the third predetermined format one to one, and any display data in the display signal packet in the second predetermined format is lower than a corresponding display data in the display signal packet in the third predetermined format by (N−M) bits.

17. The signal conversion method of claim 16, wherein the display signal packet is a low voltage differential signal packet.

18. The signal conversion method of claim 17, wherein
n is 3, the pixel signal transmitting chip is configured for receiving pixel signals of three colors of red, green and blue and transmitting the same, the first predetermined format is a VESA format, the third predetermined format is a JEIDA format, M is 8 and N is 10.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Method For Processing An Audio Signal; Signal Processing Unit, Binaural Renderer, Audio Encoder And Audio Decoder

Technical Field and Background:
The present invention relates to the field of audio encoding/decoding, especially to spatial audio coding and spatial audio object coding, e.g. the field of 3D audio codec systems. Embodiments of the invention relate to a method for processing an audio signal in accordance with a room impulse response, to a signal processing unit, a binaural renderer, an audio encoder and an audio decoder. Spatial audio coding tools are well-known in the art and are standardized, for example, in the MPEG-surround standard. Spatial audio coding starts from a plurality of original input, e.g., five or seven input channels, which are identified by their placement in a reproduction setup, e.g., as a left channel, a center channel, a right channel, a left surround channel, a right surround channel and a low frequency enhancement channel. A spatial audio encoder may derive one or more downmix channels from the original channels and, additionally, may derive parametric data relating to spatial cues such as interchannel level differences in the channel coherence values, interchannel phase differences, interchannel time differences, etc. The one or more downmix channels are transmitted together with the parametric side information indicating the spatial cues to a spatial audio decoder for decoding the downmix channels and the associated parametric data in order to finally obtain output channels which are an approximated version of the original input channels. The placement of the channels in the output setup may be fixed, e.g., a 5.1 format, a 7.1 format, etc. Also, spatial audio object coding tools are well-known in the art and are standardized, for example, in the MPEG SAOC standard (SAOC=spatial audio object coding). In contrast to spatial audio coding starting from original channels, spatial audio object coding starts from audio objects which are not automatically dedicated for a certain rendering reproduction setup. Rather, the placement of the audio objects in the reproduction scene is flexible and may be set by a user, e.g., by inputting certain rendering information into a spatial audio object coding decoder. Alternatively or additionally, rendering information may be transmitted as additional side information or metadata; rendering information may include information at which position in the reproduction setup a certain audio object is to be placed (e.g. over time). In order to obtain a certain data compression, a number of audio objects is encoded using an SAOC encoder which calculates, from the input objects, one or more transport channels by downmixing the objects in accordance with certain downmixing information. Furthermore, the SAOC encoder calculates parametric side information representing inter-object cues such as object level differences (OLD), object coherence values, etc. As in SAC (SAC=Spatial Audio Coding), the inter object parametric data is calculated for individual time/frequency tiles. For a certain frame (for example, 1024 or 2048 samples) of the audio signal a plurality of frequency bands (for example 24, 32, or 64 bands) are considered so that parametric data is provided for each frame and each frequency band. For example, when an audio piece has 20 frames and when each frame is subdivided into 32 frequency bands, the number of time/frequency tiles is 640. In 3D audio systems it may be desired to provide a spatial impression of an audio signal as if the audio signal is listened to in a specific room. In such a situation, a room impulse response of the specific room is provided, for example on the basis of a measurement thereof, and is used for processing the audio signal upon presenting it to a listener. It may be desired to process the direct sound and early reflections in such a presentation separated from the late reverberation. It is the object underlying the present invention to provide an approved approach for separately processing the audio signal with an early part and a late reverberation of the room impulse response allowing to achieve a result being perceptually as far as possible identical to the result of a convolution of the audio signal with the complete impulse response.

Invention Disclosure:
A method for processing an audio signal in accordance with a room impulse response is described. The audio signal is processed with an early part of the room impulse response separate from a late reverberation of the room impulse response, wherein the processing of the late reverberation has generating a scaled reverberated signal, the scaling being dependent on the audio signal. The processed early part of the audio signal and the scaled reverberated signal are combined.

[Assistant]
1. A method, comprising:
receiving an audio signal;
separately processing the audio signal with an early part and a late reverberation of a room impulse response, wherein processing the audio signal with the late reverberation of the room impulse response yields a reverberated signal and further comprises scaling the reverberated signal to obtain a scaled reverberated signal; and
combining the audio signal processed with the early part of the room impulse response and the scaled reverberated signal,
wherein the audio signal comprises a plurality of input channels,
wherein the scaling is dependent on a fixed correlation measure of the input channels of the audio signal or is dependent on a calculated correlation measure of the input channels of the audio signal, and
wherein scaling the reverberated signal comprises applying a gain factor to the audio signal processed with the late reverberation of the room impulse response, the gain factor being determined based on the fixed correlation measure or on the calculated correlation measure,
wherein the gain factor is determined as follows:
g=c u +ρ·( c c −c u )
where
ρ=fixed correlation measure of the input channels of the audio signal or calculated correlation measure of the input channels of the audio signal,
c u, c c =factors indicative of the condition of the plurality of input channels of the audio signal, with c u referring to totally uncorrelated channels, and c c relating to totally correlated channels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein scaling the reverberated signal is dependent on a condition of the plurality of input channels of the audio signal, wherein the condition of the plurality of input channels of the audio signal comprises one or more of the number of input channels, the number of active input channels, and an activity in the one or more of the plurality of input channels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed correlation measure of the input channels of the audio signal has a fixed value of 0.1 to 0.9.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:
c u and c c are determined as follows:
c u = 10 10 · lo   g 10  ( K i   n ) 20 = K i   n c c = 10 20 · lo   g 10  ( K i   n ) 20 = K i   n
where
K in =number of active input channels of the audio signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a correlation analysis of the audio signal comprises determining for an audio frame of the audio signal a combined correlation measure, and wherein the combined correlation measure is calculated by combining correlation coefficients for a plurality of channel combinations of one audio frame, each audio frame comprising one or more time slots.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein combining the correlation coefficients comprises averaging a plurality of correlation coefficients of the audio frame.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the combined correlation measure comprises:
calculating an overall mean value for every channel of the audio frame,
(ii) calculating a zero-mean audio frame by subtracting the overall mean value from every channel,
(iii) calculating for the plurality of channel combinations the correlation coefficient, and
(iv) calculating the combined correlation measure as the mean of the plurality of correlation coefficients.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a correlation coefficient for a channel combination is calculated as follows:
ρ  [ m, n ] =  1 ( N - 1 ) · ∑ i  ∑ j  x m  [ i, j ] · x n  [ i, j ] * ∑ j  σ  ( x m  [ j ] ) · σ  ( x n  [ j ] ) 
where
ρ[m,n]=correlation coefficient,
σ(x m [j])=standard deviation across one time slot j of channel m,
σ(x n [j])=standard deviation across one time slot j of channel n,
x m,x n =zero-mean variables,
i∀[1,N]=frequency bands,
j∀[1,M]=time slots,
m,n∀[1,K]=channels,
*=complex conjugate.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising delaying the scaled reverberated signal to match the start of the scaled reverberated signal to the transition point from early reflections to late reverberation in the room impulse response.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the late reverberation comprises applying a multichannel audio input signal to a downmixer for downmixing the multichannel audio input signal to a signal comprising a lower number of channels and applying the downmixed audio signal to a reverberator.

11. A non-transitory digital storage medium having stored thereon a computer program with program code for carrying out the method of claim 1 when being executed by a computer.

12. A signal processing unit, comprising:
an input for receiving an audio signal,
an early part processor for processing the received audio signal in accordance with an early part of a room impulse response,
a late reverberation processor for processing the received audio signal in accordance with a late reverberation of the room impulse response to obtain a reverberated signal, the late reverberation processor configured to process the reverberated signal to scale the reverberated signal to obtain a scaled reverberated signal; and
an output for combining the audio signal processed with the early part of the room impulse response and the scaled reverberated signal into an output audio signal,
wherein the audio signal comprises a plurality of input channels,
wherein the scaling is dependent on a fixed correlation measure of the input channels of the audio signal or on a calculated correlation measure of the input channels of the audio signal,
wherein the late reverberation processor configured to generate the scaled reverberated signal by applying a gain factor to the audio signal processed with the late reverberation of the room impulse response, the gain factor being determined based on the fixed correlation measure or on the calculated correlation measure, and
wherein the gain factor is determined as follows:
g=c u +ρ·( c c −c u )
where
ρ=fixed correlation measure of the input channels of the audio signal or calculated correlation measure of the input channels of the audio signal,
c u, c c =factors indicative of the condition of the plurality of input channels of the audio signal, with c u referring to totally uncorrelated channels, and c c relating to totally correlated channels.

13. The signal processing unit of claim 12, wherein the late reverberation processor comprises:
a reverberator receiving the audio signal and generating a reverberated signal; and
a gain stage coupled to an input or to an output of the reverberator and controlled by the gain factor.

14. The signal processing unit of claim 12, comprising a correlation analyzer generating the gain factor based on the fixed correlation measure or on the calculated correlation measure.

15. The signal processing unit of claim 13, further comprising at least one of:
a low pass filter coupled to the gain stage, and
a delay element coupled between the gain stage and an adder, the adder further coupled to the early part processor and the output of the reverberator.

16. A binaural renderer, comprising the signal processing unit of claim 12.

17. An audio encoder for coding audio signals, comprising:
the signal processing unit of claim 12 or a binaural renderer comprising the signal processing unit of claim 12, the signal processing unit for processing the audio signals prior to coding.

18. An audio decoder for decoding encoded audio signals, comprising:
the signal processing unit of claim 12 or a binaural renderer comprising the signal processing unit of claim 12, the signal processing unit for processing the decoded audio signals.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Alignment Apparatus And A Method For Manufacturing Thereof

Technical Field and Background:
1. Field The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for aligning connectors, and more particularly for aligning connectors of two bodies together for accurate engagement. 2. Description of Related Art Portable consumer electronic devices are becoming more popular and prevalent in use. For example, portable action video cameras are very popular with active athletes and are routinely used to capture sporting activities. These portable video cameras are compact and can be mounted in various places such as helmets, drones, skis, snowboards, surfboards, bikes, etc. Because of the compact size of such cameras, the battery size is often smaller which leads to shorter duration of the battery charge and shorter usage times. One solution is to carry extra battery packs. However, most available battery packs are difficult to install because the power connecting mechanisms are poorly designed and hard to connect during installation. Another popular accessory for portable cameras is a wireless module that enables the electronic device to wirelessly communicate using a WLAN, Bluetooth, cellular or other type of wireless protocol. For example, the wireless module enables the electronic device to wirelessly communicate files to a central server or other device. However, again the wireless module is often difficult to install due to poorly designed data connecting mechanisms. For example, the data connecting mechanism may include an input/output (I/O) port, such as a 30 pin connector port, a USB port, an HDMI port, etc. The I/O port must be aligned while installing the wireless module. This alignment may be difficult especially when the wireless module or battery module is rotatably connected to the electronic device. A similar issue exists for most accessory modules, wherein the connecting mechanism for the I/O interface is poorly designed and as such is hard to install and use. Moreover, this problem exists with other electronic devices besides portable video cameras. For example, it is often difficult to install or detach accessories or battery modules for laptops, smart tablets, etc. Accordingly, what is needed is an improved mechanism that allows for easier installation and improved connectivity of battery modules and accessories to electronic devices, such as cameras, laptops, smart tablets, etc.

Invention Disclosure:
An alignment apparatus is coupled to an accessory module that is rotatably attachable to an electronic device. The alignment apparatus includes a pivot mounting member and a connector retaining member movably coupled to the pivot mounting member. The connector retaining member is rigidly coupled to a connector. The connector retaining member moves the connector with respect to the pivot mounting member to a predetermined angle. The predetermined angle aligns the connector with a connecting mate on the electronic device in an approximately parallel position while the accessory module is rotating for attachment onto the electronic device.

[Assistant]
1. A device, comprising:
an attachment mechanism for rotatably attaching the device to another device;
a connector configured to engage a connector mate of the another device; and
an alignment apparatus attached to the connector,
wherein:
the attachment mechanism is configured to transition the device between an opened position during which the connector is not engaged with the connector mate and a closed position during which the connector is at least partially engaged with the connector mate, and
the alignment apparatus positions the connector at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the device when the device is in the opened position, to thereby position the connector at an approximately parallel position with respect to the connecting mate on the another device at a predetermined angle of rotation between the device and the another device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the connector retaining member comprises:
a flexible retaining member that supports the connector at the approximately parallel position with respect to the connecting mate on the another device at the predetermined angle of rotation between the device and the another device, wherein the flexible retaining member flexes to maintain the connector at the approximately parallel position with respect to the connecting mate as the device and the another device rotate to a closed position.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the alignment apparatus comprises:
a pivot mounting member;
a connector retaining member movably coupled to the pivot mounting member, wherein the connector retaining member is rigidly coupled to the connector; and
a spring element coupled to the pivot mounting member and the connector retaining member, wherein the spring element is configured to move the connector retaining member to the approximately parallel position with the connecting mate at the predetermined angle of rotation.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the connector retaining member forms one or more slots, wherein the one or more slots are shaped to guide the connector retaining member.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the alignment apparatus further comprises a retainer plate for slidably coupling the connector retaining member to move along the one or more slots with respect to the pivot mounting member.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the connector retaining member includes a surface slanted at the predetermined angle; and
wherein the surface slanted at the predetermined angle is configured to engage a surface of the pivot mounting member and position the connector retaining member at the approximately parallel position with the connecting mate at the predetermined angle of rotation.

7. An accessory module, comprising:
a rotating attachment configured to rotatably attach the accessory module to an electronic device; and
an alignment apparatus, comprising:
a connector;
a retaining member attached to the connector, wherein the retaining member is configured to maintain the connector in an approximately parallel position with respect to a connecting mate coupled to the electronic device during a rotating attachment of the accessory module to the electronic device; and
a pivot mounting member rigidly coupled to the accessory module,
wherein the retaining member comprises a connector retaining member slidably and rotatably coupled to the pivot mounting member and configured to move the connector with respect to the pivot mounting member to a predetermined angle that aligns the connector in the approximately parallel position with respect to the connecting mate coupled to the electronic device, and
wherein the connector retaining member forms one or more slots and wherein one or more tabs are fixedly attached to the pivot mounting member and secured in the one or more slots.

8. The accessory module of claim 7, further comprising:
a spring element coupled to the pivot mounting member and the connector retaining member, wherein the spring element is configured to move the connector retaining member to the predetermined angle with respect to the pivot mounting member.

9. The accessory module of claim 7, wherein the one or more slots include a curved shape such that the connector retaining member is configured to slide and rotate along the one or more slots with respect to the pivot mounting member to maintain the connector in an approximately parallel position with the connecting mate as the accessory module rotates towards the electronic device.

10. The accessory module of claim 7, further comprising:
a connector retainer member coupled to the pivot mounting member and to the one or more tabs, wherein the connector retaining member is configured to rotate and slide with respect to the pivot mounting member along the one or more slots guided by the one or more tabs and the retainer member.

11. The accessory module of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more slots includes a curved shape such that the connector retaining member is configured to slide and rotate along the at least one of the one or more slots with respect to the pivot mounting member to maintain the connector in an approximately parallel position with the connecting mate as the accessory module rotates with respect to the electronic device.

12. The accessory module of claim 11, wherein the connector retaining member is configured to move the connector with respect to the pivot mounting member to the predetermined angle when the accessory module rotates to a predetermined angle of rotation with respect to the electronic device.

13. The accessory module of claim 12, wherein the connector retaining member is configured to rotate and slide along the one or more slots to maintain the connector in an approximately parallel position with respect to the connecting mate as the accessory module rotates between the predetermined angle of rotation and full engagement with the electronic device.

14. The accessory module of claim 12, wherein the predetermined angle and the predetermined angle of rotation are approximately equivalent.

15. The accessory module of claim 12, wherein the predetermined angle and the predetermined angle of rotation are in a range of approximately 6 degrees to 16 degrees.

16. The accessory module of claim 12, wherein the predetermined angle of rotation includes at least one of: an angle wherein the connector and the connecting mate are initially contacting or an angle wherein the connector and the connecting mate are prior to contacting.

17. The accessory module of claim 12, wherein the accessory module moves a distance in a horizontal X direction and a vertical Y direction as the accessory module rotates between the predetermined angle of rotation and full engagement with the electronic device; and
wherein the connector retaining member is configured to move a distance in an opposite Y direction to maintain the connector in an approximately parallel position with respect to the connecting mate.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Analog-To-Digital Conversion With Noise Injection Via Wavefront Multiplexing Techniques

Technical Field and Background:
1. Field The present invention relates to architectures and designs of digital systems. More specifically, but without limitation thereto, the present invention pertains to an electronic signal conversion system that utilizes a noise injection system in order to maintain or increase signal resolution and increase the dynamic range. The present invention also offers a more time-efficient conversion as well as a more cost-effective conversion method. 2. Prior Art The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant: U.S. Patents Pat. No. Kind Code Issue Date Patentee 5,077,562 1991 Dec. 31 Chang et al. 5,630,221 1997 May 13 Birleson 6,049,251 2000 Apr. 11 Meyer 6,526,139 Bl 2003 Feb. 25 Rousell et

Invention Disclosure:
A novel noise injection technique is presented to improve dynamic range with low resolution and low speed analog to digital converters. This technique combines incoming signal and noise signal with wave front de-multiplexer and split into several channels. Then low resolution and low speed analog to digital converters are used to sample each channels. All signals are recovered using wave front multiplexer. For advanced design, ground diagnostic signals with optimizing processor can be added to guarantee recovery quality.

[Assistant]
1. An apparatus for processing signals, comprising:
a first processor configured to receive a first signal and a second signal and generate a third signal containing information from said first and second signals;
a second processor configured to apply a vector comprising a phase component to recover information associated with said third signal into a first output associated with said first signal and a second output associated with said second signal; and
an optimizer configured to adjust said vector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optimizer is configured to adjust said vector for recovering said information associated with said third signal into said first output associated with said first signal and said second output of substantial zero.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optimizer is configured to adjust said vector for recovering said information associated with said third signal into said first output of substantial zero and said second output of substantial zero.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second signal comprises a ground signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an analog-to-digital converting block configured to sample said third signal to be in a digital format, wherein said second processor is configured to apply said vector to recover information associated with said third signal in a digital format into said first and second outputs.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first processor is configured to generate a fourth signal containing information from said first and second signals, wherein said second processor is configured to apply said vector to recover information associated with said third and fourth signals into said first and second outputs.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first processor is configured to receive a fourth signal and generate said third signal containing information further from said fourth signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first processor comprises a Fourier transformer and said second processor comprises an inverse Fourier transformer.

9. A method for processing signals in an apparatus, comprising:
receiving, by said apparatus, a first signal;
receiving, by said apparatus, a second signal;
generating, by said apparatus, a third signal containing information from said first and second signals;
applying, by said apparatus, a vector comprising a phase component to recover information associated with said third signal into a first output associate with said first signal and a second output associate with said second signal; and
adjusting said vector.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising said adjusting said vector for recovering said information associated with said third signal into said first output associate with said first signal and said second output of substantial zero.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising said adjusting said vector for recovering said information associated with said third signal into said first output of substantial zero and said second output of substantial zero.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said second signal comprises a ground signal.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising sampling, by said apparatus, said third signal to be in a digital format, followed by said applying said vector to recover information associated with said third signal in a digital format into said first and second outputs.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising generating, by said apparatus, a fourth signal containing information from said first and second signals, followed by applying said vector to recover information associated with said third and fourth signals into said first and second outputs.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving, by said apparatus, a fourth signal, followed by said generating said third signal containing information further from said fourth signal.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising said generating, by a Fourier transformer of said apparatus, said third signal containing information from said first and second signals.

17. A method for processing signals in an apparatus, comprising:
receiving, by said apparatus, a first signal in an analog format;
receiving, by said apparatus, a second signal in an analog format;
generating, by said apparatus, a third signal containing information from said first and second signals;
generating, by said apparatus, a fourth signal containing information from said first and second signals;
sampling, by said apparatus, said third and fourth signals to be in a digital format; and
recovering, by said apparatus, information associated with said third and fourth signals in a digital format into a first output associated with said first signal in a digital format and a second output associated with said second signal in a digital format.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said second signal comprises a ground signal.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising adjusting, by said apparatus, a vector applied for said recovering said information associated with said third and fourth signals in a digital format into said first and second outputs.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising said recovering said information associated with said third and fourth signals in a digital format into said first output and said second output of substantial zero.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Method And Apparatus For Transmitting Reference Signal In Wireless Communication System Supporting Multiple Antennas

Technical Field and Background:
MIMO (multi-input multi-output) technology means a method of improving data transceiving efficiency by adopting multiple transmitting antennas and multiple receiving antennas instead of a single transmitting antenna and a single receiving antenna. In particular, this technology increases capacity or enhances performance using multiple antennas in a transmitting or receiving end of a wireless communication system. This MIMO technology may be called multi-antenna technology. In order to support MIMO transmission, it may be able to use a precoding matrix to appropriately distribute transmission information to each antenna in accordance with a channel status and the like. In the conventional 3GPP (3rd generation partnership project) LTE (long term evolution) system, maximum 4 transmitting antennas are supported for downlink transmission and a corresponding precoding codebook is defined.

Invention Disclosure:
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for transmitting a reference signal by a transmitting side in a wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas. Specifically, the present invention comprises a step of transmitting a first reference signal for a plurality of first domain antennas and a second reference signal for a plurality of second domain antennas, wherein the second reference signal is used for antennas included in the second domain antennas except for antennas included in the first domain antennas and a particular antenna port, and the particular antenna port is selected from antenna ports included in multiple antennas except for the first domain antennas and the second domain antennas.

[Assistant]
1. A method of transmitting a reference signal by a transmitting end in a wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas, the method comprising:
transmitting a 1 st reference signal with respect to a multitude of 1 st domain antennas and a 2 nd reference signal with respect to a multitude of 2 nd domain antennas,
wherein the 2 nd reference signal is used for antennas among the 2 nd domain antennas except an antenna belonging to the 1 st domain antennas and a specific antenna port,
wherein the specific antenna port is selected from antenna ports among antenna ports included in the multiple antennas except the 1 st domain antennas and the 2 nd domain antennas,
wherein the 1 st domain antennas correspond to either vertical antennas or horizontal antennas,
wherein the 2 nd domain antennas correspond to either the vertical antennas or the horizontal antennas, and
wherein the 1 st domain antennas are different from the 2 nd domain antennas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the 1 st reference signal and the 2 nd reference signal are used by a receiving end to restore entire channels of the multiple antennas through a Kronecker product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference signal comprises a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the 1 st domain antennas and the 2 nd domain antennas are configured through radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

5. A method of transmitting a reference signal by a transmitting end in a wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas, the method comprising:
transmitting a 1 st reference signal with respect to a multitude of 1 st domain antennas and a 2 nd reference signal with respect to a multitude of 2 nd domain antennas,
wherein the 2 nd reference signal is used for antennas among the 2 nd domain antennas except an antenna belonging to the 1 st domain antennas, and
wherein transmission power of resource elements (REs) having the 2 nd reference signal mapped thereto is power-boosted by as much as
N N - 1,
where N is the number of antennas belonging to both of the 1 st domain antennas and the 2 nd domain antennas.

6. A transmitter for transmitting a reference signal in a wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas, the transmitter comprising:
a radio frequency unit; and
a processor,
wherein the processor is configured to control the radio frequency unit to transmit a 1 st reference signal with respect to a multitude of 1 st domain antennas and a 2 nd reference signal with respect to a multitude of 2 nd domain antennas,
wherein the 2 nd reference signal is used for antennas among the 2 nd domain antennas except an antenna belonging to the 1 st domain antennas and a specific antenna port,
wherein the specific antenna port is selected from antenna ports among antenna ports included in the multiple antennas except the 1 st domain antennas and the 2 nd domain antennas,
wherein the 1 st domain antennas correspond to either vertical antennas or horizontal antennas,
wherein the 2 nd domain antennas correspond to either the vertical antennas or the horizontal antennas, and
wherein the 1 st domain antennas are different from the 2 nd domain antennas.

7. A transmitter for transmitting a reference signal in a wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas, the transmitter comprising:
a radio frequency unit; and
a processor,
wherein the processor is configured to control the radio frequency unit to transmit a 1 st reference signal with respect to a multitude of 1 st domain antennas and a 2 nd reference signal with respect to a multitude of 2 nd domain antennas,
wherein the 2 nd reference signal is used for antennas among the 2 nd domain antennas except an antenna belonging to the 1 st domain antennas, and
wherein transmission power of resource elements (REs) having the 2 nd reference signal mapped thereto is power-boosted by as much as
N N - 1,
where N is the number of antennas belonging to both of the 1 st domain antennas and the 2 nd domain antennas.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Method And System For High Precision Etching Of Substrates

Technical Field and Background:
The geometries of microelectronic features continue to scale to smaller sizes and increase in complexity. Accordingly, the patterning techniques used to manufacture microelectronic devices may need to become more precise to create smaller features and minimize damage to the films during manufacturing. Previously, selective etching or high precision etching has been attempted by alternating between precursor deposition (passivation) and etching using plasma processing. However, these conventional approaches have been plagued by aspect ratio, profile variation, and cycle time issues. Accordingly, new high precision etching techniques that may overcome the aforementioned issues may be desirable.

Invention Disclosure:
This disclosure relates to a plasma processing system and methods for high precision etching of microelectronic substrates. The system may include a plasma chamber that may generate plasma to remove monolayer(s) of the substrate. The plasma process may include a two-step process that uses a first plasma to form a thin adsorption layer on the surface of the microelectronic substrate. The adsorbed layer may be removed when the system transitions to a second plasma or moves the substrate to a different location within the first plasma that has a higher ion energy. In one specific embodiment, the transition between the first and second plasma may be enabled by changing the position of the substrate relative to the source electrode with no or relatively small changes in plasma process conditions.

[Assistant]
1. A method for treating a substrate, comprising:
placing the substrate in a first position within a plasma processing chamber, the substrate having a surface layer of a first thickness;
receiving a first chemical composition in the plasma processing chamber, the first chemical composition comprising at least a first constituent and a second constituent;
applying power from a surface wave plasma source to the first chemical composition to generate plasma that treats a top portion of the surface layer;
receiving a second chemical composition in the plasma processing chamber, the second chemical composition being different from the first chemical composition;
moving the substrate to a second position within the plasma processing chamber; and
removing the treated top portion of the surface layer using the second chemical composition to reduce the surface layer to a second thickness less than the first thickness.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma comprises a potential less than or equal to 15V.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the second chemical composition comprises reducing a flow rate for at least one constituent of the first chemical composition into the plasma processing chamber.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one constituent is injected into the plasma processing chamber closer to the first position than the second position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position comprises a location that is more than 100 mm from the electrode of the surface wave plasma source, and the second position is between 20 mm and 100 mm from the electrode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first chemical composition comprises one or more reactive elements comprising Cl, Br, CF x, F, or O radicals.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second chemical composition comprises Ar, N 2, and a lower concentration of the reactive elements than in the first chemical composition.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma comprises an ion energy between 1 eV to 20 eV during the treating of the top portion of the surface layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plasma comprises an ion energy between 10 eV to 100 eV during the removing of the treated top portion of the surface layer.

10. A method for treating a substrate, comprising:
placing the substrate in a plasma processing chamber, the substrate having a surface to be etched;
receiving a gas into the plasma processing chamber;
generating a first plasma in a first region of the plasma processing chamber, the first plasma comprising a first potential less than or equal to 15V and capable of forming an adsorbed layer within the surface to be etched;
generating a second plasma in a second region of the plasma processing chamber, the second plasma comprising a second potential that is greater than the first potential and capable of desorbing the adsorbed layer from the surface to be etched; and
moving the substrate between the first region and the second region within the plasma processing chamber to reduce a thickness of the surface to be etched.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising forming the adsorbed layer within the surface to be etched when the substrate is located in the first region.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising desorbing the adsorbed layer from the surface to be etched when the substrate is located in the second region.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the moving of the substrate comprises changing a magnitude of the pulsed power when the substrate moves between the first region and the second region.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the moving of the substrate comprises changing pressure in the plasma processing chamber when the substrate moves between the first region and the second region.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the gas comprises a mixture of two or more of the following gases: Cl, Br, CF x, F, O, Ar, or N 2.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the moving of the substrate comprises changing concentration of the mixture when the substrate moves between the first region and the second region.

17. A method for treating a substrate, comprising:
placing the substrate in a plasma processing chamber;
receiving a gas into the plasma processing chamber, wherein the gas comprises a mixture of two or more of the following gases: Cl, Br, CF x, F, O, Ar, or N 2;
generating a first plasma in a first region of the plasma processing chamber, the first plasma comprising a plasma potential less than or equal to 15V for an adsorption process;
generating a second plasma in a second region of the plasma processing chamber, the second plasma comprising a plasma potential for a desorption process that is greater than the plasma potential for the adsorption process; and
moving the substrate between the first region and the second region within the plasma processing chamber, wherein the receiving of the gas comprises injecting the Cl, Br, CF x, F, or O closer to the first region than where the Ar or N 2 are injected into the plasma processing chamber.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the first plasma region is opposite the second plasma region.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating of the first plasma comprises applying a first pulsed power from a surface wave plasma source to the gas.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating of the second plasma comprises applying a second pulsed power from a surface wave plasma source to the gas, the second pulsed power being similar to the first pulsed power.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Sidetone Generation Using Multiple Microphones

Technical Field and Background:
Headsets used for communicating over telecommunication systems include one or more microphones and speakers. The speaker portion of such a headset can be enclosed in a housing that may cover a portion of one or both ears of the user, thereby interfering with the user's ability to hear his/her own voice during a conversation. This in turn can cause the conversation to sound unnatural to the user, and degrade the quality of user-experience of using the headset.

Invention Disclosure:
The technology described in this document can be embodied in an apparatus that includes an input device, a sidetone generator, and an acoustic transducer. The input device includes a set of two or more microphones, and is configured to produce digitized samples of sound captured by the set of two or more microphones. The sidetone generator includes one or more processing devices, and is configured to receive digitized samples that include at least one digitized sample for each of two or more microphones of the set. The sidetone generator is also configured to process the received digitized samples to generate a sidetone signal. The acoustic transducer is configured to generate an audio feedback based on the sidetone signal.

[Assistant]
1. An apparatus comprising:
an input device comprising a set of two or more microphones, the input device configured to produce digitized samples of sound captured by the set of two or more microphones;
memory for buffering one or more frames of the digitized samples of the sound captured by the set of two or more microphones;
circuitry for processing the one or more frames of the digitized samples for subsequent transmission;
a sidetone generator comprising one or more processing devices, the sidetone generator configured to:
receive a first number of the digitized samples for each of two or more microphones of the set, wherein the first number is smaller than a second number of the digitized samples in the one or more frames, and
process the first number of digitized samples to generate a sidetone signal, wherein the sidetone signal is generated based on one or more parameters provided by the circuitry for processing the one or more frames of the digitized samples; and
an acoustic transducer configured to generate an audio feedback based on the sidetone signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sidetone generator is configured to generate the sidetone signal in parallel with the buffering of the one or more frames of the digitized samples.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first number is based on a target latency associated with generating the sidetone signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein processing the first number of digitized samples comprises executing a beamforming operation using samples from the set of two or more microphones.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more parameters comprises one or more beamforming coefficients used in the beamforming operation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein processing the first number of digitized samples comprises executing a microphone mixing operation using samples from the set of two or more microphones.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more parameters comprises a mixing ratio associated with a filter used in the mixing operation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein processing the first number of digitized samples comprises executing an equalization operation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sidetone generator is configured to generate the sidetone signal within 5 ms of receiving the at least one digitized sample for each of two or more microphones of the set.

10. A method comprising:
generating digitized samples of sound captured by a set of two or more microphones;
buffering, in memory, one or more frames of the digitized samples;
generating, using circuitry for processing the one or more frames of the digitized samples, a communication signal for subsequent transmission;
receiving, at one or more processing devices, a first number of the digitized samples for each of two or more microphones of the set, wherein the first number is smaller than a second number of the digitized samples in the one or more frames;
processing the first number of digitized samples to generate a sidetone signal, wherein the sidetone signal is generated based on one or more parameters provided by the circuitry for processing the one or more frames of the digitized samples; and
generating audio feedback based on the sidetone signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sidetone signal is generated in parallel with the buffering of the one or more frames of the digitized samples.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first number is based on a target latency associated with generating the sidetone signal.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein processing the first number of digitized samples comprises executing a beamforming operation using samples from the set of two or more microphones.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more parameters comprises one or more beamforming coefficients used in the beamforming operation.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein processing the first number of digitized samples comprises executing a microphone mixing operation using samples from the set of two or more microphones.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more parameters comprises a mixing ratio associated with a filter used in the mixing operation.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein processing the first number of digitized samples comprises executing an equalization operation.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the sidetone signal is generated within 5 ms of receiving the at least one digitized sample for each of two or more microphones of the set.

19. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage devices storing instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:
receiving a first number of digitized samples comprising at least one digitized sample from each of two or more microphones of a set of microphones generating digitized samples of captured sound;
causing a circuitry for processing one or more frames of the digitized samples to generate a communication signal for subsequent transmission, wherein each of the one or more frames buffers a second number of digitized samples, and the first number is smaller than the second number;
processing the first number of digitized samples to generate a sidetone signal, wherein the sidetone signal is generated based on one or more parameters provided by the circuitry for processing the one or more frames of the digitized samples; and
causing generation of audio feedback based on the sidetone signal.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Foreign Object Detector, Power Transmitter, Power Receiver, And Wireless Power Transmission System

Technical Field and Background:
In recent years, development of wireless power transmission technology which employs induction coupling between coils has been encouraged for the purpose of charging, by wireless, electronic devices and EV devices which involve mobility, such as mobile phones and electric vehicles. A wireless power transmission system includes a power transmitter which has a power transmitting coil (power transmitting antenna) and a power receiver which has a power receiving coil (power receiving antenna) and is configured such that a magnetic field produced by the power transmitting coil is caught by the power receiving coil, whereby transmission of electric power is realized without direct contact of electrodes. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of such a wireless power transmission system.

Invention Disclosure:
A foreign object detector includes: an oscillator circuit 100 having a coil 110 and resonant capacitors Cx, Cy, the oscillator circuit 100 being configured to output a voltage which includes an AC component and a DC component, the AC component having a positive cycle and a negative cycle; and an electric circuit for sensing a variation of the AC component and a variation of the DC component in the voltage output from the oscillator circuit 100 when a foreign object approaches the coil 110.

[Assistant]
1. A foreign object detector, comprising:
an oscillator circuit having a coil and a resonant capacitor, wherein the oscillator circuit outputs a voltage which includes an AC component and a DC component, the AC component having a positive cycle and a negative cycle; and
an electric circuit that detects a variation of the AC component and a variation of the DC component in the voltage output from the oscillator circuit when a foreign object approaches the coil,
wherein
the coil also functions as a power transmitting coil for transmitting electric power wirelessly,
the foreign object detector further includes a switch coupled to the oscillator circuit, and
the switch electrically connects the coil to other elements of the oscillator circuit in a foreign object detection mode and to electrically separate the coil from the other elements of the oscillator circuit in a power transmission mode.

2. The foreign object detector of claim 1, wherein
the electric circuit includes a rectifier circuit that rectifies the voltage output from the oscillator circuit and outputting the rectified voltage, and
the rectifier circuit includes
a first rectifier element for rectifying a voltage of the positive cycle,
a first capacitor for reducing the DC component, and
a second rectifier element for rectifying a voltage of the negative cycle which is smaller than zero due to reduction of the DC component.

3. The foreign object detector of claim 2, wherein
the rectifier circuit further includes a second capacitor for smoothing a voltage output from the first rectifier element, and
a voltage division ratio between the first capacitor and the second capacitor, U, satisfies the relationship of 0<U≤0.5.

4. The foreign object detector of claim 2, wherein the electric circuit further includes a measurement circuit that measures the voltage output from the rectifier circuit.

5. The foreign object detector of claim 1, wherein the electric circuit further includes a measurement circuit that directly or indirectly measures a voltage output from the oscillator circuit.

6. The foreign object detector of claim 5, wherein
the oscillator circuit further includes a resistance Rd which is arranged so as to decrease the voltage output from the oscillator circuit, and
the resistance Rd is set such that, when the foreign object is sufficiently distant from the coil, a voltage input to the measurement circuit is within a measurable range of the measurement circuit and, when a foreign object which is larger than the coil is in close contact with the coil, the voltage is not less than a lower limit of the measurable range.

7. The foreign object detector of claim 5, wherein the measurement circuit outputs information indicating that the foreign object is present when a difference between a voltage input to the measurement circuit and a predetermined reference voltage is not less than a predetermined threshold.

8. The foreign object detector of claim 1, wherein
the resonant capacitor is a first resonant capacitor,
the oscillator circuit further includes a second resonant capacitor which has a different capacitance from that of the first resonant capacitor,
one electrode of the first resonant capacitor is connected to one terminal of the coil and an output terminal of the oscillator circuit,
one electrode of the second resonant capacitor is connected to the other terminal of the coil, and
the other electrodes of the first and second resonant capacitor are grounded.

9. The foreign object detector of claim 8, wherein
the first resonant capacitor has capacitance Cx and the second resonant capacitor has capacitance Cy=αCx, and
α is set to a value within the range of 1<α<100.

10. The foreign object detector of claim 8, wherein
the first resonant capacitor has capacitance Cx and the second resonant capacitor has capacitance Cy=αCx, and
α is set to a value within the range of 0.01≤α<1.

11. A power transmitter for transmitting electric power by wireless, comprising:
the foreign object detector of claim 1; and
a control circuit that determines a power transmission frequency and a power transmission voltage according to a detection result from the foreign object detector.

12. A wireless power transmission system, comprising:
a power transmitter that transmits electric power by wireless; and
a power receiver that receives the electric power transmitted from the power transmitter,
wherein the power transmitter is the power transmitter of claim 11.

13. A foreign object detector, comprising:
an oscillator circuit having a coil and a resonant capacitor, wherein the oscillator circuit outputs a voltage which includes an AC component and a DC component, the AC component having a positive cycle and a negative cycle; and
an electric circuit that detects a variation of the AC component and a variation of the DC component in the voltage output from the oscillator circuit when a foreign object approaches the coil,
wherein
the coil also functions as a power receiving coil for receiving electric power by wireless,
the foreign object detector further includes a switch coupled to the oscillator circuit, and
the switch electrically connects the coil to other elements of the oscillator circuit in a foreign object detection mode and to electrically separate the coil from the other elements of the oscillator circuit in a power transmission mode.

14. A power receiver for receiving electric power transmitted by wireless from a power transmitter, comprising:
the foreign object detector of claim 13; and
a control circuit that generates information for power transmission control according to a detection result from the foreign object detector and outputs the generated information.

15. A wireless power transmission system, comprising:
a power transmitter that transmits electric power by wireless; and
a power receiver that receives the electric power transmitted from the power transmitter,
wherein the power receiver is the power receiver of claim 14.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Method And Apparatus For Automatically Disarming A Security System

Technical Field and Background:
This invention relates generally to security systems, and more particularly, to automatically disarming a security system to prevent false alarms. Security systems are installed in homes and businesses to protect the premises within a perimeter. Unfortunately, a large number of false alarms are generated due to human error. The home or business owner is typically responsible for costs incurred by police or other security personnel who are sent to respond to a false alarm. Also, a great number of false alarms may result in slower response time during a true event or emergency due to less available security personnel or a perceived lack of urgency. When the security system is armed, the person entering the home or business has to disable the alarm by, for example, entering a code into a panel or input device such as a keypad, or finding and holding a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag up to an RFID reader within a set amount of time. If the person is not aware that the system is armed or is unable to disarm the system within the set time, an alarm is generated. If the person is authorized to enter and has a key for the door lock but does not have the alarm code, they may be unaware that they are going to set off the alarm. Also, authorized workers or other people may be given proper access to the home or business, but may forget the code or enter a code for a different location which will trigger an alarm. Setting the system to disarm based on simply unlocking a door also causes security risks, as locks can be picked or potentially unlocked by breaking a window or door panel, then unlocking the door from the inside. False alarms are also often generated when people are within the perimeter and have armed the sensors along the perimeter. This may be referred to as an Armed Stay Mode. If a window or door is opened without first disabling the system, an alarm will be generated. This may happen when a person opens the door to get the newspaper, let a pet in or out of the house, or to admit a visitor. Therefore, a need exists for preventing false alarms by disarming the security system without human intervention while still maintaining the integrity and functionality of the security system. Certain embodiments of the present invention are intended to meet these needs and other objectives that will become apparent from the description and drawings set forth below.

Invention Disclosure:
A security system comprises a system control panel for arming and disarming the security system. A door sensing unit comprises a first radio frequency (RF) transceiver interconnected with the system control panel over a network. The first RF transceiver is mounted proximate to a door that defines at least a portion of a perimeter around an area to be monitored by the security system. The first RF transceiver has an RF detection field proximate to the door. A disarm device comprises a second RF transceiver that automatically transmits a disarm device packet. The first RF transceiver receives the disarm device packet when the second RF transceiver is within the RF detection field. The first RF transceiver sends a disarm message to the system control panel over the network to disarm the security system based on at least the disarm device packet.

[Assistant]
1. A method for determining whether to automatically disarm a security system, comprising:
receiving an input from a user to arm the security system;
in response to receiving the input, arming the security system;
receiving a packet from a portable disarm device, the packet being automatically generated and wirelessly transmitted by the portable disarm device, the packet indicative of a request to disarm the security system and comprising at least one identifier (ID) associated with at least one portable disarm device or the security system; and
ignoring the request to disarm the security system in response to determining that the request was received within a predetermined time of arming the security system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
comparing the at least one ID to at least one value associated with approved portable disarm devices and the security system; and
disarming the security system when the at least one ID corresponds to the at least one value and when the request was received after the predetermined time of arming the security system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet is indicative of a disarm message;
wherein the security system comprises a door sensing unit and a system control panel;
wherein the door sensing unit receives the packet indicative of the request; and
wherein the door sensing unit is configured to ignore the request to disarm the security system in response to determining that the request was received within the predetermined time of arming the security system by inhibiting the disarm message from being sent to the system control panel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable disarm device is configured to wirelessly transmit the packet periodically.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the predetermined time period, the security system is configured to respond to the packet from the portable disarm device by disarming the security system.

6. A method for determining whether to automatically disarm a security system, comprising:
receiving an input from a user to arm the security system;
in response to receiving the input, arming the security system;
tracking a portable disarm device, the portable disarm device configured to transmit a packet, the packet being automatically generated and wirelessly transmitted by the portable disarm device, the packet being indicative of a request to disarm the security system and comprising at least one identifier (ID) associated with the portable disarm device or the security system; and
based on the tracking of the portable disarm device, ignoring the request from the portable disarm device to disarm the security system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein tracking the portable disarm device comprises detecting the packets from the portable disarm device for at least a predetermined time period; and
in response to detecting the packets from the portable disarm device for the at least a predetermined time period, disqualifying the portable disarm device from disarming the security system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, in response to a mode change in the security system, the disqualified portable disarm device is re-qualified.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, after the portable disarm device is disqualified, determining whether the disqualified portable disarm device has been detected within a certain time period; and
in response to determining that the disqualified portable disarm device has not been detected within a certain time period, the disqualified portable disarm device is re-qualified.

10. A door security device configured to monitor a door, comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a portable disarm device; and
a controller in communication with the communication interface, the controller configured to:
determine that the security system is armed;
receive a packet from the portable disarm device, the packet being automatically generated and wirelessly transmitted by the portable disarm device, the packet indicative of a request to disarm the security system and comprising at least one identifier (ID) associated with at least one portable disarm device or the security system
determine whether the request was received within a predetermined time of arming the security system; and
in response to determining that the request was received within a predetermined time of arming the security system, ignore the request to disarm the security system.

11. The door security device of claim 10, wherein the packet is indicative of a disarm message; and
wherein the controller is configured to ignore the request to disarm the security system by inhibiting the disarm message from being sent to a system control panel.

12. The door security device of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to:
compare the at least one ID to at least one value associated with approved portable disarm devices and the security system; and
disarm the security system when the at least one ID corresponds to the at least one value and when the request was received after the predetermined time of arming the security system.

13. The door security device of claim 10, wherein the door security device is configured to receive the packet periodically.

14. The door security device of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to, after the predetermined time period, respond to the packet from the portable disarm device by disarming the security system.

15. A door security device configured to monitor a door, comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a portable disarm device; and
a controller in communication with the communication interface, the controller configured to:
determine that the security system is armed;
track the portable disarm device, the portable disarm device configured to transmit a packet, the packet being automatically generated and wirelessly transmitted by the portable disarm device, the packet being indicative of a request to disarm the security system and comprising at least one identifier (ID) associated with the portable disarm device or the security system; and
based on the tracking of the portable disarm device, ignore the request from the portable disarm device to disarm the security system.

16. The door security device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to track the portable disarm device by detecting the packets from the portable disarm device for at least a predetermined time period; and
wherein the controller is configured to ignore the request by, in response to detecting the packets from the portable disarm device for the at least a predetermined time period, disqualifying the portable disarm device from disarming the security system.

17. The door security device of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to re-qualify the disqualified portable disarm device in response to determining a mode change in the security system.

18. The door security device of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to re-qualify the disqualified portable disarm device in response to determining that the disqualified portable disarm device has not been detected within a certain time period.