Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission medium for propagating electromagnetic waves. The transmission medium can include a core for propagating electromagnetic waves guided by the core without an electrical return path, a rigid material surrounding the core, wherein an inner surface of the rigid material is separated from an outer surface of the core, and a conductive layer disposed on the rigid material. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission medium for propagating electromagnetic waves. The transmission medium can include a core for propagating electromagnetic waves guided by the core without an electrical return path, a rigid material surrounding the core, wherein an inner surface of the rigid material is separated from an outer surface of the core, and a conductive layer disposed on the rigid material. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A method and system controls access to an authentication-dependent or authentication-conditional function of a vehicle, via a smart device or smartphone. For the authentication, an authentication feature of the smart device is compared with a stored authentication feature of the device, and authentication is granted if they are identical or sufficiently correspond, the authentication is subjected to an approval process by a user of the smart device, in which it is determined whether the user approves the authentication or not. The authentication and the approval process have at least one channel in a protected region of the smart device and/or are themselves embedded in the protected region, which lies outside a region of the operating system of the applications and/or the apps of the smart device. The function of the device is executed when there is an authentication and an approval.

A receiver device comprises one or more differential receivers configured to respectively output single ended signals, one or more delay compensation circuitries configured to delay the single ended signals, clock recovery circuitry configured to generate a recovered clock signal based on a compensated single ended signals respectively outputted from the delay compensation circuitries, and one or more latch circuitries configured to respectively latch the compensated single ended signals in synchronization with the recovered clock signal.

A modular power distribution system, comprising a client device configured to be inserted into a host device, and having a series of independently configurable electrical connections and predetermined electrical connections connecting the host device, the client device, and a cable to deliver power from the cable to a peripheral of the client. A modular power distribution system, comprising a host device having first and second compartments, the second compartment being dimensioned to automatically align the client electrical coupler with the host electrical coupler and form a protective barrier while the client electrical coupler is in contact with the host electrical coupler. A modular power distribution system comprising a multi-gang host device and a client assembly, and having a series of independently configurable electrical connections and predetermined electrical connections connecting the multi-gang host device, the client assembly, and a cable(s) to deliver power from the cable the client assembly.

An audio signal distribution device includes a receiver, a determiner, and a transmitter. The receiver receives information relating to capabilities of a distribution destination device to which an audio signal is distributed. The determiner, based on the capabilities of the distribution destination device in received information, determines a role of processing of the audio signal of each device including an own device and the distribution destination device and generates processing information according to the processing of the audio signal. The transmitter distributes the processing information and the audio signal to the distribution destination device.

Managing a visitor outside of a physical area includes remotely registering the visitor to an access system, installing an application on a mobile user device of the visitor, the application being authorized to access and communicate with the access system, the visitor entering personnel credentials to authorize use of the application while the visitor is outside of the physical area, and, in response to the visitor authorizing use of the application, the application and the access system exchanging data containing information about the visitor, remote executed activities of the visitor, remote data, and/or information about localization of the user device. The application may exchange data with the access system using a RESTful API. Data may be formed in a blockchain prior to being exchanged between the mobile user device and the access system. The access system may add third party information to complement and improve scheduling of the visitor.

A chair system including a main unit and an untethered chair is provided. The main unit includes a wireless transmitter, a subwoofer, an audio stream receiver and a processor. The untethered chair includes a plurality of speakers, a power source and a wireless receiver for receiving a processed audio stream from the main unit.

The present subject matter provides a technical solution to the technical problems facing sound localization by separating sounds and reproducing the separated sounds using a set of loudspeakers and a set of headphones. A general soundtrack that is meant to be experienced throughout the room would play through the loudspeakers, and specific sounds that are meant to be experienced near the listener would be played through a binaural representation in the headphones. The headphones may be selected to avoid occluding the ear, allowing sound produced at the loudspeakers to be heard clearly. This separation and reproduction of sounds using a combination of a loudspeaker and headphone provides a technical solution to the technical problem facing typical surround sound systems by localizing sounds for listeners in any location within a room. This improves reproduction accuracy of location-specific audio objects, including audio objects above or below a coplanar speaker configuration.

Determining when to provide a Proactive Grant Service (PGS) scheduling grant. A plurality of PGS grants are issued to a cable modem (CM). The PGS grants that were utilized by the CM are monitored as well as those PGS grants that were not utilized by the CM. A compromise PGS grants pattern for that CM is generated based on the observations of which PGS grants the CM utilized and which PGS grants the CM did not utilize. The compromise PGS grants pattern for that CM optimizes a projected experienced latency and jitter for particular data flows of the CM verses a projected wasted upstream capacity.