Abstract: Wearable items and methods of monitoring wearable items are disclosed. The wearable item comprises a flexible base material forming at least a portion of the wearable item, plural conductive traces traversing the flexible base material, and conductivity sensing circuitry coupled to the plural conductive traces. The conductivity sensing circuitry is configured to distinguish conductivity from non-conductivity of the plural conductive traces, and configured to generate a conductivity indication for at least one of the plural conductive traces. The plural conductive traces follow indirect paths across the flexible base material, allowing the flexible material to flex and stretch normally without breaking the conductive traces.

Abstract: A device implementing a real time clock integrated module for outputting data indicating a time-of-day. The real time clock integrated module includes: a high-precision oscillator or atomic clock having an accuracy of 50 ppb (parts per billion) or better; a timing circuit for generating time-of-day data according to a clock signal outputted from the oscillator or atomic clock; a power source allowing the timing circuit to maintain time when the device is powered off. The timing circuit includes a real time clock and a logic device storing a timestamp. The timing circuit is configured when the device is powered off to update the timestamp value based on the oscillator or atomic clock and to generate a time reference signal and to provide to the device the updated timestamp value and the time reference signal that the device can use as a time reference once the device is powered up again.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a carrier having a die pad and a contact; a semiconductor die having opposing first and second main sides and being attached to the die pad by a first solder joint such that the second main side faces the die pad; and a contact clip having a first contact region and a second contact region. The first contact is attached to the first main side by a second solder joint. The second contact region is attached to the contact by a third solder joint. The first contact region has a convex shape facing towards the first main side such that a distance between the first main side and the first contact region increases from a base of the convex shape towards an edge of the first contact region. The base runs along a line that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the contact clip.

Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to wireless energy harvesting devices and may relate more particularly to system-on-a-chip testing for wireless energy harvesting devices.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising a requirement determination unit to determine an energy requirement for a system component. A status determination unit determines status information relating to a plurality of heterogeneous energy stores and actuating system control unit controls an activity of the system component in dependence on the status information relating to the plurality of heterogeneous energy stores and the energy requirement.

Abstract: According to one implementation of the present disclosure, a method for power management is disclosed. The method includes: computing, by a central processing unit, software instructions of a software workload in an active-mode operation corresponding to a first operating point on a performance curve of a performance mode; transitioning from instances of the active-mode operation to instances of standby-mode operation of the CPU, and recording, by a time tracking element, each of a plurality of standby entry data points; transitioning from the instances of the standby-mode operation to the instances of the active-mode operation of the CPU, and recording, by the time tracking element, each of a plurality of standby exit data points; and determining a second operating point on the performance curve of the performance mode based on the recorded standby entry data points and the recorded standby exit data points.

Abstract: There is provided a battery cell monitoring system comprising a flexible substrate able to conform to a surface of a battery cell to be monitored and wireless communication circuitry to be positioned proximate to a surface of the battery cell and arranged to communicate with one or more other battery cell monitoring systems. The battery cell monitoring system is provided with control circuitry integrated onto the flexible substrate to control the wireless communication circuitry to perform two types of communication. The first of the two types of communication is a local communication between the battery cell monitoring system and each of the one or more other battery cell monitoring systems. The second of the two types of communication is a non-local communication between the battery cell monitoring system and a battery management system routed via inter-cell communication with the one or more other battery cell monitoring systems.

Abstract: Wearable items and methods of monitoring wearable items are disclosed. The wearable item comprises a flexible base material forming at least a portion of the wearable item, plural conductive traces traversing the flexible base material, and conductivity sensing circuitry coupled to the plural conductive traces. The conductivity sensing circuitry is configured to distinguish conductivity from non-conductivity of the plural conductive traces, and configured to generate a conductivity indication for at least one of the plural conductive traces. The plural conductive traces follow indirect paths across the flexible base material, allowing the flexible material to flex and stretch normally without breaking the conductive traces.

Abstract: A battery cell monitoring system comprises a flexible substrate able to conform to a surface of a battery cell to be monitored, and a plurality of first-level prediction units integrated onto the flexible substrate, where each first-level prediction unit is positioned at a different location on the flexible substrate to each other first-level prediction unit. Each first-level prediction unit comprises at least one sensor to generate sensor signals indicative of a physical state of the battery cell, and first-level prediction circuitry to generate a predicted battery cell status value in dependence on the sensor signals received from the at least one sensor of that first-level prediction unit.

Abstract: A method for training a classification device, the method comprising: receiving classification device constraints at an intermediary device; receiving training data at the intermediary device; matching the training data to the classification device constraints to provide constrained training data; mapping the constrained training data to classification device functionality to provide a command model; and transmitting the command model to the classification device.

Abstract: Battery cell monitoring systems comprising a flexible substrate and components integrated onto the flexible substrate, and methods of operating the same are disclosed. The components comprise a computing device and at least one sensor, where the at least one sensor is configured to generate sensor signals indicative of a physical state of the battery cell. The computing device is configured to hold characteristic data values which have been generated based on prior sensor signals. The computing device is configured to receive the sensor signals from the at least one sensor and to generate battery cell status data in dependence on the sensor signals and the characteristic data values.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems and devices for varying operations of a transponder device based, at least in part, on an availability of energy and/or power that may be harvested and/or collected. In one particular implementation, operations to generate one or more signals from sensor circuitry and/or to perform computations may be varied based, at least in part, on an availability of harvestable and/or collectable energy and/or power.

Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a leadframe including a diepad and a first row of leads, wherein at least one lead of the first row of leads is physically separated from the diepad by a gap. The semiconductor package further includes a semiconductor component arranged on the leadframe. The semiconductor package further includes an encapsulation material encapsulating the leadframe and the semiconductor component, wherein the encapsulation material includes a bottom surface arranged at a bottom surface of the semiconductor package, a top surface and a side surface extending from the bottom surface to the top surface. A side surface of at least one lead of the first row of leads is flush with the side surface of the encapsulation material. The flush side surface of the at least one lead is covered by an electroplated metal coating.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus comprising: a substrate; communication circuitry deposited on said substrate; and ballot circuitry deposited on said substrate. The ballot circuitry comprises: a plurality of voting circuitry elements, each voting circuitry element being responsive to a voting operation to change a conductive state of that voting circuitry element; and logic circuitry communicatively coupled with each of the plurality of voting circuitry elements and with the communication circuitry. The logic circuitry is configured to: detect the conductive state of each of the plurality of voting circuitry elements; and transmit, via the communication circuitry and based on the conductive state of each of the plurality of voting circuitry elements, a voting result.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device including processing circuitry, communications circuitry configured to provide a communication link with a communication apparatus external to the integrated circuit device, and a memory accessible by the processing circuitry and by the communications circuitry, the memory comprising a memory region to which the processing circuitry has write access and to which the communications circuitry has read access, in which the processing circuitry is configured to write information to the memory region indicative of one or more use conditions of the integrated circuit device, and in which the communications circuitry is configured to access the memory region and to provide the information indicative of the one or more use conditions of the integrated circuit device via the communication link.

Abstract: Apparatus comprises at least one visual indicator element; at least one detector to detect access to the apparatus consistent with a cleaning operation being applied to a surface of the apparatus; and processing circuitry to control a visual indication state of the at least one visual indicator element in response to a detection by the detector of access to the surface of the apparatus.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprises generating computer executable code as one or more code portions; detecting a number of processing operations required to reach one or more predetermined stages in execution of each code portion; and associating with each code portion one or more progress indicators, each representing a respective execution stage of the one or more predetermined stages within execution of that code portion. The code portions are executed by a processor powered by an unpredictable power source. When the processor detects an energy condition indicating that no more than a reserve quantity of electrical energy is available, the progress indicators are used to determine whether or not to perform a checkpoint.

Abstract: A device implementing a real time clock integrated module for outputting data indicating a time-of-day. The real time clock integrated module includes: a high-precision oscillator or atomic clock having an accuracy of 50 ppb (parts per billion) or better; a timing circuit for generating time-of-day data according to a clock signal outputted from the oscillator or atomic clock; a power source allowing the timing circuit to maintain time when the device is powered off. The timing circuit includes a real time clock and a logic device storing a timestamp. The timing circuit is configured when the device is powered off to update the timestamp value based on the oscillator or atomic clock and to generate a time reference signal and to provide to the device the updated timestamp value and the time reference signal that the device can use as a time reference once the device is powered up again.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus comprising: a substrate; communication circuitry deposited on said substrate; and ballot circuitry deposited on said substrate. The ballot circuitry comprises: a plurality of voting circuitry elements, each voting circuitry element being responsive to a voting operation to change a conductive state of that voting circuitry element; and logic circuitry communicatively coupled with each of the plurality of voting circuitry elements and with the communication circuitry. The logic circuitry is configured to: detect the conductive state of each of the plurality of voting circuitry elements; and transmit, via the communication circuitry and based on the conductive state of each of the plurality of voting circuitry elements, a voting result.

Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to wireless energy harvesting devices and may relate more particularly to system-on-a-chip testing for wireless energy harvesting devices.