Abstract: Systems and methods for a front-end circuit receiving a current from a photodiode receiving a signal light and ambient light have been disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the front-end circuit accommodates a photo diode current, generated by a signal light from an infrared LED diode in presence of a current generated by ambient light for a rain-sensing system. The circuit invented has a high dynamic range comprising a programmable transresistance amplifier, a switched capacitor programmable gain amplifier and a switched capacitor fourth-order oversampled sigma-delta A/D converter including an optimized digital filter. Furthermore coarse and fine IDACs are used to successively subtract a current generated by ambient light.

Abstract: Circuits and methods to provide a digital clock signal, which can be instantly halted without glitches and then resumes under control of an asynchronous suspend signal with whole width clock pulses has been achieved. The circuit suspends the clock output in either a high or a low state, instantaneously with the suspend signal. There is no restriction on either the suspend pulse width or position in relation to the input clock. The asynchronous logic implementation is using standard cell logic gates. The circuit functionality is not dependent on the manufacturing technology, i.e. CMOS, bipolar, BI-CMOS, GaAs, etc. implementations are all valid.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for a display driver having an internal non-volatile memory in order to save memory storage and computation effort of a host processor. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the display driver is applied for an electronic paper display. Contained within the display driver are user-definable display graphics bitmaps, multiple stored bitmaps used to assemble complex display images, and multiple phase tables, each table of arbitrary length. The invention removes the requirement for a host processor to store display images and/or display image decodes of numerical data and simplifies the process required to construct a display image from stored bitmaps. Furthermore the invention provides pre-programmed multiple phase tables (phase/delay waveform definitions), allowing a simple mechanism to alter the waveform generation, required for example to accommodate temperature variations, blanking the display before updating an image, etc.

Abstract: Methods for PWM precharging of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been disclosed. Image quality has been improved by including the light generated during pre-charge phase is included in the overall budget. The approach invented is especially beneficial to displays using Multi-Line Algorithms (MLA). Constant discharge time for anodes, discharging the anodes to just below the luminance level saves power by reducing the pre-charge requirements for the next driving phase. High impedance terminal (HiZ) discharge is performed after a fixed discharge of anodes.

Abstract: Systems and methods to achieve a switched DC-to-DC converter having an improved efficiency have been disclosed. A control logic allows continuous switching to bring the DC-to-DC converter to a final output value during a startup phase, it allows skipping of clock switching pulses if they are not needed and allows burst mode of switching pulses dependent on a load applied to the output voltage of the DC-to-DC converter. No digital or analog regulator is required for the control logic.

Abstract: Methods and systems to optimize the adaptation of gamma curve and phase table data to a color LCD STN display anytime by storing these data in a same memory are disclosed. The gamma curve and phase table data are stored in a same read/write memory element; hence allowing the adaptation any time.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a front-end circuit receiving a current from a photodiode receiving a signal light and ambient light have been disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the front-end circuit accommodates a photo diode current, generated by a signal light from an infrared LED diode in presence of a current generated by ambient light for a rain-sensing system. The circuit invented has a high dynamic range comprising a programmable transresistance amplifier, a switched capacitor programmable gain amplifier and a switched capacitor fourth-order oversampled sigma-delta ND converter including an optimized digital filter. Furthermore coarse and fine IDACs are used to successively subtract a current generated by ambient light.

Abstract: Circuits and methods to achieve a switch interface circuit for a single pole, single throw (SPST) momentary push-button switch consuming a few tens of nanoamps whilst the push-button switch is closed, having low impedance input path when the switch is open in order to eliminate RFI interference have been achieved. The two states of the push-button switch, open and closed, maintain a low impedance path to one of the power supplies. The supply current is minimized whilst the switch is closed. The edge triggered detection of the switch event allows an extended switch-closed operation.

Abstract: Circuits and methods to provide a digital clock signal, which can be instantly halted without glitches and then resumes under control of an asynchronous suspend signal with whole width clock pulses has been achieved. The circuit suspends the clock output in either a high or a low state, instantaneously with the suspend signal. There is no restriction on either the suspend pulse width or position in relation to the input clock. The asynchronous logic implementation is using standard cell logic gates. The circuit functionality is not dependent on the manufacturing technology, i.e. CMOS, bipolar, BI-CMOS, GaAs, etc. implementations are all valid.

Abstract: Circuits and methods to operate an arrangement of one or more charge pumps with two or more power supplies where each supply is able to vary over a range of voltages, and where any one supply can be of a higher or lower voltage than any of the others have been achieved. In a preferred embodiment the output of the arrangement of charge pumps is used to drive an electronic display. The strongest power supply available is selected and the arrangement of one or more charge pumps is reconfigured according to the value of the actual strongest supply voltage. In case of a change of a source of supply voltage the operation of the charge pumps during the short time required for reconfiguration. While the charge pump is running it can be suspended, reconfigured and released or restarted in the case of a change of supply source, or simply reconfigured on-the-fly without suspending in the case of a selected supply voltage change.

Abstract: Circuits and methods to operate an arrangement of one or more charge pumps with two or more power supplies where each supply is able to vary over a range of voltages, and where any one supply can be of a higher or lower voltage than any of the others have been achieved. In a preferred embodiment the output of the arrangement of charge pumps is used to drive an electronic display. The strongest power supply available is selected and the arrangement of one or more charge pumps is reconfigured according to the value of the actual strongest supply voltage. In case of a change of a source of supply voltage the operation of the charge pumps during the short time required for reconfiguration. While the charge pump is running it can be suspended, reconfigured and released or restarted in the case of a change of supply source, or simply reconfigured on-the-fly without suspending in the case of a selected supply voltage change.

Abstract: Circuits and methods to adjust the brightness of LCD displays have been achieved. The invention applies for LCD systems having a single or multiple display screens. The technique applied makes use of the property of LCDs where each pixel responds to the applied RMS voltage across it, and changing the timing of the COMMON signal reduces the applied voltage. This technique is applicable to both black and white and color displays as well as both standard scan and multi-addressing schemes.

Abstract: Methods and systems to optimize the adaptation of gamma curve and phase table data to a color LCD STN display anytime by storing these data in a same memory are disclosed. The gamma curve and phase table data are stored in a same read/write memory element; hence allowing the adaptation any time.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and an apparatus for saving power dissipation during the testing and evaluation of liquid crystal display LCD panels. In addition, this invention provides a method and apparatus of the changing of the order of backplane and segment addressing to reduce the power consumed by LCD panels. The method includes the step of interlacing the access of common or backplane addresses to an LCD. The LCD power saving method also includes the interlacing the access of the RAM data driving the LCD segment drivers. The segment address signals are developed from data read out of a random access memory, RAM. The segment address signals are activated such that alternating LCD panel locations are written with ones and zeros in a checkerboard pattern so as to stress the LCD panel in the worst case. This method provides for the saving of power dissipation during testing and evaluation by reducing the amount of segment switching from once every backplane cycle to once every frame.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and an apparatus for power reduction for LCD drivers using backplane charge sharing. In addition, this invention relates to the use of switches between adjacent backplane drivers in order to transmit and reuse the discharged charge from one backplane's capacitance in order to charge the capacitance of an adjacent backplane. One embodiment of this invention utilizes N metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, NMOS-FETs to implement the switch connection between adjacent backplane drivers.

Abstract: A method and a system to reduce the power consumption of a LCD driver have been achieved. In order to save power a logic circuitry is connected to the output of a RAM automatically comparing displayed data on a line by line during the scan and, on detection of no data change, keeping the output pins static. In the case a COMMON row contains zero data only the corresponding common output is not selected and does not switch the display and hence saves the charging current for said row of data. This logic circuit is an extension to standard prior art circuitry controlling a LCD display.

Abstract: Circuits and methods to adjust the brightness of LCD displays have been achieved. The invention applies for LCD systems having a single or multiple display panels. The technique applied makes use of the property of LCDs where each pixel responds to the applied RMS voltage across it, and changing the timing of the COMMON signal reduces the applied voltage. This technique is applicable to both black and white and color displays as well as both standard scan and multi-adressing schemes.

Abstract: A method and a system to reduce the power consumption of a LCD driver have been achieved. In order to save power a logic circuitry is connected to the output of a RAM automatically comparing displayed data on a line by line during the scan and, on detection of no data change, keeping the output pins static. In the case a COMMON row contains zero data only the corresponding common output is not selected and does not switch the display and hence saves the charging current for said row of data. Said logic circuit is an extension to standard prior art circuitry controlling a LCD display.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and an apparatus for power reduction for LCD drivers using backplane charge sharing. In addition, this invention relates to the use of switches between adjacent backplane drivers in order to transmit and reuse the discharged charge from one backplane's capacitance in order to charge the capacitance of an adjacent backplane. One embodiment of this invention utilizes N metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, NMOS-FETs to implement the switch connection between adjacent backplane drivers.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and an apparatus for saving power dissipation during the testing and evaluation of liquid crystal display LCD panels. In addition, this invention provides a method and apparatus of the changing of the order of backplane and segment addressing to reduce the power consumed by LCD panels. The method includes the step of interlacing the access of common or backplane addresses to an LCD. The LCD power saving method also includes the interlacing the access of the RAM data driving the LCD segment drivers. The segment address signals are developed from data read out of a random access memory, RAM. The segment address signals are activated such that alternating LCD panel locations are written with ones and zeros in a checkerboard pattern so as to stress the LCD panel in the worst case. This method provides for the saving of power dissipation during testing and evaluation by reducing the amount of segment switching from once every backplane cycle to once every frame.