Abstract: A vehicular battery operated charger (202) for charging an electronic device such as a radio (204) includes a controller (218). Controller (218) determines the battery voltage of the vehicles battery (222) and compares it to a threshold level stored in controller (218). Charger (202) will automatically charge radio battery (206) as long as the voltage level of the vehicles battery (222) does not drop below the threshold level stored in controller (218).

Abstract: A method of adhering a polyimide to a substrate includes first placing the substrate in a dilute acid solution. The substrate is then placed in a palladium and tin solution followed by a rinse with water. The rinsed substrate is placed in an accelerator solution to substantially remove the tin from the substrate. The palladium which remains on the substrate surface provides nucleation sites for adhesion promotion and enhanced wetting of polyimide which is applied in a liquid form as by spraying or spinning. Adhesion of polyimide to metals such as gold, ceramics, alumina or polyimide is thereby provided.

Abstract: An actively biased oscillator (200) includes a set of current sensing components (214,216) for sensing the amount of current flowing into the first terminal of the amplifier; and a differential amplifier (212) responsive to the current sensing components for automatically adjusting the amount of current flowing into the second terminal of the amplifier.

Abstract: An apparatus (200) and method for adjusting the bias current of the oscillating device (320) in a VCO (202) in response to changes in the tuning voltage of the VCO to achieve reduced sideband noise.

Abstract: A leadless electrical resistor (40), comprising a parallelepiped dielectric body (42), or chip, having a resistive film element (44) on one face. A pair of conductive terminations (46) are connected to opposite ends of the resistive element in order to form a chip resistor. A second resistive film element (54) is formed on the opposing face of the dielectric body in a direction perpendicular to the first resistor. A second pair of conductive terminations (56) are connected to opposite ends of the second resistive element (54) in order to form a second resistor on the back side of the chip. The terminations of the second resistor are on adjacent sides of the chip body compared to the terminations of the first resistor, thus forming a chip resistor (40) having two resistive elements (44 and 54) with terminations (46 and 56) on the four vertical walls of the chip.

Abstract: An auto-extending antenna for a portable radio having a housing which can be closed is inserted into an aperture within the housing. As the housing of a radio using the auto-extending antenna is opened, a toothed wheel attached to the opening portion of the housing is rotated. This toothed wheel is coupled to a second toothed wheel and causes the second toothed wheel to rotate. The second toothed wheel is connected to a first hollow tube which has two opposing slots extending along almost the entire length of the tube. An antenna is inserted into the hollow portion of the first tube, and two opposing nobs attached to the bottom of the antenna protrude through the opposing slots. A second hollow tube fits over the first hollow tube. The inner walls of the second hollow tube have two opposing screw paths winding up its entire length. The nobs extend into the screw paths. The second tube is secured to the housing of the radio.

Abstract: A shielded semiconductor package and a method for manufacturing the package is provided. The shielded semiconductor package comprises a substrate (10) having a metallization pattern (12, 13), with one portion of the metallization pattern being a circuit ground (13). A semiconductor device (16) is electrically interconnected (17) to the metallization pattern (12). A perforated metal shield or screen (18) covers the semiconductor device (16) and is electrically and mechanically attached to the metallization circuit ground (13) in order to shield the semiconductor device (16) from radio frequency energy. A resin material (14) is transfer molded about the semiconductor device, the electrical interconnections, and the metal screen to form the completed package.

Abstract: A communication system (200) includes a portable radio (100) which has environmental detection capabilities. The radio (100) upon detecting the presence of an environmental condition such as smoke above a predetermined threshold, transmits an information signal to a communication station (202). Once the signal is received by communication station (202), it is decoded and a message is annunciated. The communication station (202) can transmit a message to radio (100) in response to the information signal. Optionally, before radio (100) transmits an information signal to the communication station (202), it first determines if the environmental condition (e.g. smoke) has been detected for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A transfer molded pad array chip carrier is formed by mounting and wirebonding a semiconductor device (12) on a printed circuit board (10). The bottom side of the printed circuit board may have an array of solderable surfaces (24). A polymer coating (18) is applied over the semiconductor device (12), the wirebonds (16), and the top side of the printed circuit board (10) and cured. The coating (18) is then sputter etched in a partial vacuum to enhance the adhesion of the transfer molding compound (20) to the printed circuit board (10). The semiconductor device is encapsulated by a transfer molding process. The polymer coating (18) also provides a barrier to alpha particle emission, improves the moisture resistance of the completed package and reduces stress at the surface of the device.

Abstract: A manufacturing process for a multilayer thermoplastic printed circuit substrate (200) begins with a thermoplastic core substrate (202) having a printed circuit pattern (204) on a surface (202A) of the core substrate. Either fully reacted or partially reacted thermoplastic material is dissolved in a suitable dissolving agent and then applied in the liquid state over the surface (202A) of the core substrate. Application is by spraying, dipping, spinning or rolling. This results in a layer of liquid thermoplastic material covering the printed circuit pattern on the core substrate. The dissolving agent is then removed from the thermoplastic layer, leaving behind a uniform, dry hard, dielectric film of thermoplastic resin (206). Using photolithographic techniques, a via (206A) is opened up in the dielectric layer. If the starting material for the dielectric layer was partially reacted thermoplastic resin, the dielectric layer is now fully cured.

Abstract: A method of soldering leadless components to a printed circuit board without using solder paste is disclosed. A thick layer of solder (42) is plated onto a printed circuit board (40), and an oxide layer (43) is formed by heating. Solder flux (45) is applied to those solder pads that are intended to be reflowed, and components (54) are placed. The printed circuit board is heated, and a solder joint (68) is effected between the components (54) and the circuit board (40), while the unfluxed solder pads (66) do not reflow and remain flat. Solder flux is then applied to the remaining solder pads (66) on the same or the opposite side of the circuit board. Additional components (77) are placed, and the circuit board (40) is reflowed a second time.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling a speaker mute time is provided to transmit an information message from a first communication device to a second communication device. In response to receiving the information message, the second communication device controls the duration of its speaker mute time.

Abstract: An adhesive material 220 including a fluxing agent and metal particles 240 is applied to either a substrate 200 having a metallization pattern 210 or an electrical component 230. The component 230 is positioned on the substrate 210 and heated. During the heating step, the fluxing agent promotes adhesion of the metal particles 240 to the substrate metallization pattern 210 and the component, and the adhesive material 220 is cured, to mechanically interconnect and encapsulate the substrate 210 and the component 230.

Abstract: A flexible film is made into a substrate (100) having metallization patterns. A semiconductor device (106) is affixed to the substrate, and the assembly is heated to expand the substrate. A cover (110) is attached to the substrate, over the device (106). Upon cooling, the substrate (100) shrinks and becomes taut and planar within the reinforced area. Alternatively, a reinforcing ring (210) can be attached to the substrate (200) either before or after attachment of the semiconductor device (206).

Abstract: A sensor (18) for measuring the rheology of materials is provided, comprising a deformable beam (20) simply supported at two locations (21 and 22). The beam has supported and unsupported portions, with the unsupported portion (28) extending beyond the supported portion. A strain gauge (23) is attached to the supported portion of the deformable beam (20), and measures the induced strain on the beam when the unsupported portion (28) is deflected by a moving material.

Abstract: Briefly, according to the invention, a transfer molding compound is made from an epoxide resin, a cyanate ester, and a catalyst. The molding compound is used to encapsulate semiconductor devices to fabricate individual packages or to encapsulate devices mounted directly on a circuit carrying substrate.

Abstract: A closed loop amplifier circuit (100) having an on state (202) and an off state (204) is disclosed. The amplifier circuit (100) includes an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuit (116). The AGC circuit (116) controls the rate of change in the output power (120) of the amplifier circuit (100) when it changes from the off state (204) to the on state (202) or vice versa. The amplifier circuit (100) also includes a programming circuit (114) that is coupled to the AGC circuit (116). The programming circuit (114) is used to program a desired rate of change into the AGC circuit (116).

Abstract: An environmentally sealed battery connector (100) includes a battery contact member (102) having a battery contact location (108). Battery connector (100) also includes a resilient seal member (118) having a battery mating ridge (110) which compresses against battery (204) and environmentally seals the point of contact between battery (204) and battery contact location (108).

Abstract: An adhesive material 120 including a fluxing agent is applied to either a substrate 100 having a metallization pattern 110 or a solder bumped electrical component 130. The component 130 is positioned on the substrate 110 and the solder bump 140 is reflowed. During the reflow step, the fluxing agent promotes adhesion of the solder 140 to the substrate metallization pattern 110, and the adhesive material 120 is cured to mechanically interconnect and encapsulate the substrate 110 to the component 130.