Patents Assigned to AMS International AG
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Publication number: 20240021652Abstract: An integrated detector device for direct detection of X-ray photons includes a CMOS body including a substrate portion and a dielectric portion arranged on a main surface of the substrate portion, an integrated circuit in the CMOS body having implants at or above the main surface for forming charge collectors, and a metal structure in the dielectric portion that extends from the charge collectors to a contact surface of the dielectric portion facing away from the substrate portion. The device further includes an absorber portion arranged on the contact surface of the dielectric portion, the absorber portion including an absorber element that is in electrical contact with the metal structure, and an electrode structure that is in direct contact with the absorber element forming an electrical contact. The absorber element is configured to absorb X-ray photons and generate electrical charges based on the absorbed X-ray photons.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2021Publication date: January 18, 2024Applicant: ams International AGInventor: Jens HOFRICHTER
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Patent number: 11876539Abstract: A current to digital converter circuit has an integrator amplifier with an input adapted to receive a current signal and an output adapted to provide a voltage signal as a function of an integration of the current signal, a quantizer circuit with an input which is coupled to the output of the integrator amplifier and with an output adapted to provide a binary result signal as a function of a comparison of the voltage signal with at least a first reference voltage signal, a digital-to-analog converter circuit which is coupled in a switchable manner as a function of the binary result signal to the input of the integrator amplifier, and a controlled current source which is coupled to the output of the integrator amplifier via a first switch which is controlled as a function of the binary result signal such that an auxiliary current is supplied to the output of the integrator amplifier.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2020Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: AMS INTERNATIONAL AGInventors: Srinidhi Koushik Kanagal Ramesh, Thomas Fröhlich
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Patent number: 11870952Abstract: A method for operating a 3D sensor system includes by an array of pixels of an imaging sensor of the 3D sensor system, generating first image data representative of reflected light from an environment, the image data having a first resolution. The method includes by processing circuitry of the 3D sensor system, generating second image data based on the first image data, the second image data having a second resolution less than the first resolution; and by the processing circuitry of the imaging sensor, determining that the second image data indicates that an object is present in the environment. The method includes responsive to the determining, providing the first image data from the 3D sensor system to one or more processors configured to generate a three-dimensional image of the environment based on the first image data.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2019Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: AMS INTERNATIONAL AGInventors: Miguel Bruno Vaello Paños, David Stoppa
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Publication number: 20230417932Abstract: A front-end electronic circuitry for a photon counting application includes a charge sensitive amplifier including an amplifier circuit and a capacitor being arranged in a feedback path between the input side and the output side of the amplifier circuit. A controllable switch is arranged in parallel to the capacitor. The circuitry includes a delay circuit to provide a delay circuit output signal being a time-delayed representation of the charge sensitive amplifier output signal. An output signal generation circuit is configured to generate the output signal by subtracting the delay circuit output signal from the charge sensitive amplifier output signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2021Publication date: December 28, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: Fridolin MICHEL, Charalambos ANDREOU, Massimo RIGO, Matthias STEINER, Juan Miguel GAVILLERO
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Patent number: 11852525Abstract: An ambient light sensor is provided that includes a sensor input having a delta-sigma analogue to digital converter. The delta-sigma analogue to digital converter includes a switched capacitor, a common mode voltage source, a reference voltage source, and a switch network. In a first clock phase, the switch network connects the switched capacitor to charge it to either a sum or difference voltage. In a second clock phase, the switch network connects the switched capacitor to transfer charge into a summing junction. A controller controls the switch network in response to a comparator output to connect the switched capacitor to either the common mode voltage or the reference voltage while in the first clock phase.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2020Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignees: PAX WATER TECHNOLOGIES INC., AMS INTERNATIONAL AGInventors: Ravi Kumar Adusumalli, Rahul Thottathil, Gowri Krishna Kanth Avalur, Sudhakar Singamala
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Publication number: 20230400695Abstract: An optical system for an augmented reality (AR) display comprises an image generator for generating image light, and an optical combiner for location in a field of view of a user of the optical system between the user and a scene. The optical combiner is configured to transmit ambient light from the scene towards an eye of the user, the ambient light being incident on a first side of the optical combiner. The image generator and the optical combiner are arranged so that the image light is incident on a second side of the optical combiner, the second side of the combiner being opposite to the first side of the optical combiner.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2023Publication date: December 14, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: Eric TREMBLAY, Carlos MACIAS, Volker ZAGOLLA, Robin KAECH
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Publication number: 20230396934Abstract: An acoustic sensor is disclosed, the sensor including a laser and a membrane configured to vibrate in the presence of an acoustic wave, and to reflect radiation emitted by the laser back toward the laser to produce a self-mixing interference effect corresponding to the acoustic wave. The sensor also includes a cavity separating the membrane from the laser and extending rearward of a radiation-emitting surface of the laser, a majority volume of the cavity being disposed rearward of the radiation-emitting surface of the laser. Also disclosed is an apparatus including the acoustic sensor, and a method of manufacturing the acoustic sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2021Publication date: December 7, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: Goran STOJANOVIC, Pierre Jean-Francois SEURIN, Guoyang XU, Haisong WANG, Peng GAO
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Patent number: 11838012Abstract: A power on reset circuit comprises terminals for reference and supply potentials and a voltage divider coupled therebetween. First and second transistors of a bandgap circuit are resistively coupled to the reference potential terminal and have bases connected to the voltage divider. Current mirrors couple the collectors of the first and second transistors to an output terminal providing an output signal indicating a power on reset condition. A first compensation transistor is coupled between the collector of one of the transistors and the reference potential terminal, and a second compensation transistor is coupled between the output terminal and the reference potential terminal to compensate the effect of parasitic substrate currents in response to an external interference.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2021Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: AMS INTERNATIONAL AGInventor: Vincenzo Leonardo
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Publication number: 20230386592Abstract: A data storage apparatus includes an integrated circuit further including a control unit and a memory array of charge-based memory cells. The memory array includes a first subsection which is operable as a memory, and comprises includes a second subsection which is operable as a dosimeter. The control unit is operable to provide a reference current and to conduct memory access operations to access the memory with reference to the reference current. The control unit is further operable to analyze a statistical distribution of read currents by using memory access operations in the second subsection. Said analysis involves counting of logical read errors of the memory access operations and calibrating the reference current depending on a number of counted logical read errors being indicative also of a Total Ionizing Dose, TID.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2021Publication date: November 30, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: Tommaso VINCENZI, Gregor SCHATZBERGER
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Patent number: 11829319Abstract: An I2C apparatus (100) comprising: a master device (102) and two slave devices connected through an I2C bus, whereby the two slave devices are programmed with the same default device address. A first slave device (108) is connected to the bus in a conventional configuration whereas a second slave device (110) is connected to the bus in a cross connected configuration such that a clock pin of the second slave is connected to the serial data line and the data pin of the second slave is connected to the serial clock line. In response to a detection that the data pin of the second slave is connected to the serial clock line, the second slave swaps the lines going from the clock and data pins to processing logic of the second slave; and modifies its default device address to ensure that each slave device has a unique device address.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2020Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: AMS INTERNATIONAL AGInventors: Sandeep Vernekar, Vijay Ele
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Publication number: 20230375755Abstract: A moisture-resistant optical device comprises a microlens array (MLA) formed from a first material defining a plurality of associated recesses; and a moisture-resisting layer of a second material, formed on the MLA and filling the associated recesses. An associated method of manufacture is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2021Publication date: November 23, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: Sylvain GROSSMANN, Olivier RIPOLL, Sebastiano LAZZI
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Patent number: 11821984Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus that can be used to determine whether an object is in proximity of an electronic device. When an object is not in proximity to the electronic device, the arrangement of two sensors at different distances from the optical emitter results in a higher strength of a reflection signal received in the sensor closer to the optical emitter and a lower strength of a reflection signal received in the sensor further from the optical emitter. The system uses this difference in reflection signals to calculate a ratio between the signals that are being reflected to both sensors, and based on the ratio whether an object is in proximity to the electronic device.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2020Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: AMS INTERNATIONAL AGInventors: Helmut Theiler, Christian Halper
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Publication number: 20230358903Abstract: A shaper circuit includes a first amplifier including an input and an output, the input being configured to receive an input signal, which includes one or more current pulses, a feedback component coupled to the output and to the input of the first amplifier thereby forming a feedback loop of the first amplifier, and an RC component coupled to the output of the first amplifier and to a reference potential terminal. Therein the shaper circuit is configured to provide an output signal as a function of the input signal, the output signal including one or more voltage pulses, and the RC component is configured to largely cancel a low frequency pole of the feedback loop of the first amplifier.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2021Publication date: November 9, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventor: Fridolin MICHEL
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Publication number: 20230358902Abstract: A radiation-sensitive device is disclosed. The radiation-sensitive device includes: a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), and processing circuitry configured to determine an intensity of incident radiation using at least one of the plurality SPADs. An amount of the SPADs used to determine the intensity of the incident radiation varies in relation to the intensity of the incident radiation. Also disclosed in an associated method of determining an intensity of radiation incident upon such a radiation-sensitive device, and uses of the radiation-sensitive device in an electronic-nose or point-of-care apparatus, or for ambient light sensing.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2021Publication date: November 9, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: André VAN DER AVOIRD, Bobby DANIEL, Erik JAN LOUS, Jagruth PRASANNA KUMAR
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Publication number: 20230361736Abstract: A circuit arrangement is provided which includes an array of stages for photon counting current to voltage conversion. Each stage includes a tunable operational transconductance amplifier and a feedback network forming a feedback loop of the operational transconductance amplifier. Each stage is configured to provide an output signal as a function of an input signal that is provided to the amplifier input of the operational transconductance amplifier, wherein the input signal comprises one or more current pulses and the output signal comprises one or more voltage pulses. With the tunable operational transconductance amplifier the transconductance of a stage can be tuned so that differences in peaking time and gain are avoided. Furthermore, an imaging device and a method for operating a circuit arrangement are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2021Publication date: November 9, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventor: Fridolin MICHEL
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Patent number: 11808654Abstract: An integrated optical transducer for detecting dynamic pressure changes comprises a micro-electro-mechanical system, MEMS, die having a MEMS diaphragm with a first side exposed to the dynamic pressure changes and a second side, and an application-specific integrated circuit, ASIC, die having an optical interferometer assembly. The interferometer assembly comprises a beam splitting element for receiving a source beam from a light source and for splitting the source beam into a probe beam in a first beam path and a reference beam in a second beam path, a beam combining element for combining the probe beam with the reference beam to a superposition beam, and a detector configured to generate an electronic interference signal depending on the superposition beam. The MEMS die is arranged with respect to the ASIC die such that a gap is formed between the second side of the diaphragm and the ASIC die, with the gap defining a cavity and having a gap height.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2019Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: AMS INTERNATIONAL AGInventors: Goran Stojanovic, Colin Steele, Jens Hofrichter, Catalin Lazar, Jochen Kraft
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Publication number: 20230332948Abstract: A radiation-sensitive device is disclosed. The device includes an array of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) and circuitry configured to measure an intensity of incident radiation from the array of SPADs with a plurality of different measurement windows to provide an associated plurality of results. The circuitry is configured to determine the intensity of the incident radiation from one of the plurality of results, a selection of the result determined by whether the result exceeds a maximum count defined, at least in part, by a duration of the measurement window associated with the result. An associated method of increasing a dynamic range of a radiation-sensitive device comprising an array of SPADs is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2021Publication date: October 19, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: André VAN DER AVOIRD, Bobby DANIEL, Erik JAN LOUS, Jagruth PRASANNA KUMAR
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Publication number: 20230324220Abstract: A radiation-sensitive device is disclosed. The device comprises a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) and circuitry configured to adapt a read-out rate of the plurality of SPADs in relation to an intensity of incident radiation. Also disclosed is an associated method of increasing a dynamic range of a radiation-sensitive device comprising a plurality of SPADs. The method comprises adapting a read-out rate of the plurality of SPADs in relation to an intensity of incident radiation.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2021Publication date: October 12, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: André VAN DER AVOIRD, Bobby DANIEL, Erik Jan LOUS, Jagruth PRASANNA KUMAR
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Publication number: 20230324853Abstract: A time-to-digital converter circuit is disclosed, the time-to-digital converter circuit including a plurality of delay stages connected to form a delay line, a plurality of event counters, an encoder circuit for triggering the delay line, and a binning circuit for associating an event with an event counter from plurality of event counters. The binning circuit selects the event counter based on a signal from the delay line, and wherein the encoder circuit is configured to sequentially trigger a different delay stage of the plurality of delay stages. Also disclosed is a time-of-flight sensor implementing the time-to-digital converter circuit, and an associated apparatus and method.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2021Publication date: October 12, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: Robert KAPPEL, Daniel FURRER, Manfred LUEGER, Yiming JIANG, Hesong XU, Daniele PERENZONI
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Publication number: 20230326420Abstract: An electronic sensing device includes a display having a display surface and a plurality of micro light emitters configured to emit light for forming a display image on the display surface. A plurality of micro photodetectors is configured to detect light conditions at the display surface. A transceiver circuit is configured to drive the micro light emitters to emit light, drive the micro photodetectors to detect light and generate photo signals based on the detected light, coordinate the driving of the micro light emitters and of the micro photodetectors, and process the photo signals according to at least one of a list of sensing modes. The plurality of micro light emitters and the plurality of micro photodetectors are arranged on a surface of a display substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2021Publication date: October 12, 2023Applicant: ams International AGInventors: Jens HOFRICHTER, Corneliu-Mihai TOBESCU