Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a solid body for a biomedical device, wearable by a patient and configured to acquire one or more physiological parameters of the patient. The solid body includes a first rigid portion, a second rigid portion and a connection portion of flexible type which couples the first and the second rigid portions to each other; and a control circuitry accommodated inside the first and/or the second rigid portions. The connection portion is interposed between the first and the second rigid portions, is integral therewith and is deformable so as to allow a relative movement of the first and the second rigid portions. The first and the second rigid portions are physically couplable to a first and to a second ECG electrode to couple the solid body to the torso of the patient.

Abstract: A wearable sensing device includes a connector socket provided with contact pads connectable to sensing electrodes for sensing biological electrical signals. A supply module is provided with a battery, which is housed in a first casing configured for reversible coupling with the connector socket. A control module is housed in a second casing distinct from the first casing and configured for coupling with the supply module and with the connector socket. The control module is equipped with a processing unit configured to process biological electrical signals detectable through the contact pads. Mechanical-connection members couple the supply module to the connector socket. Electrical-connection members distinct from the mechanical-connection members are configured to connect the battery and the contact pads to the control module.

Abstract: A wearable sensing device includes a connector socket provided with contact pads connectable to sensing electrodes for sensing biological electrical signals. A supply module is provided with a battery, which is housed in a first casing configured for reversible coupling with the connector socket. A control module is housed in a second casing distinct from the first casing and configured for coupling with the supply module and with the connector socket. The control module is equipped with a processing unit configured to process biological electrical signals detectable through the contact pads. Mechanical-connection members couple the supply module to the connector socket. Electrical-connection members distinct from the mechanical-connection members are configured to connect the battery and the contact pads to the control module.

Abstract: A method for encoding and decoding media signals, includes the operations of generating at a transmitting side multiple descriptions associated to data of the media signals through a downsampling operation performed on the data, and decoding at a receiving side the multiple descriptions for reconstructing the data by merging the multiple descriptions. The operation of generating multiple descriptions further includes the operations of obtaining a spectral representation of the data, including bands associated to different ranges, the bands being obtained by a suitable quantization operation and including at least one highly quantized band, that is subjected to a higher degree of quantization. A scrambling operation is performed on the spectral representation by moving the at least one highly quantized band to a different range, the scrambling operation being performed prior the downsampling operation. In decoding, a descrambling operation is performed before the merging operation on the multiple descriptions.

Abstract: A pressure sensor including a pressure-sensor element having a monolithic body of semiconductor material, and a first main face and a second main face acting on which is a stress resulting from a pressure, the value of which is to be determined; and a package enclosing the pressure-sensor element. The package has an inner chamber containing liquid material, and the pressure-sensor element is arranged within the inner chamber in such a manner that the first and second main faces are both in contact with the liquid material. In particular, the liquid material is a silicone gel.

Abstract: The method for encoding and/or decoding video signals, includes the operations of generating at a transmitter side a multiple descriptions vector associated to a pixel values vector of the video signals and decoding at a receiver side available descriptions vector for reconstructing the pixel values vector. The operation of generating a multiple descriptions vector includes the steps of obtaining the pixel values vector by selecting a group of pixels in a picture of the video signal and applying an encoding matrix to the pixel values vector. The decoding operation includes the step of applying a decoding matrix that is in an inverse relationship with the encoding matrix to the available descriptions vector to obtain the pixel values vector.

Abstract: A method for encoding and decoding media signals, includes the operations of generating at a transmitting side multiple descriptions associated to data of the media signals through a downsampling operation performed on the data, and decoding at a receiving side the multiple descriptions for reconstructing the data by merging the multiple descriptions. The operation of generating multiple descriptions further includes the operations of obtaining a spectral representation of the data, including bands associated to different ranges, the bands being obtained by a suitable quantization operation and including at least one highly quantized band, that is subjected to a higher degree of quantization. A scrambling operation is performed on the spectral representation by moving the at least one highly quantized band to a different range, the scrambling operation being performed prior the downsampling operation. In decoding, a descrambling operation is performed before the merging operation on the multiple descriptions.

Abstract: A method for encoding and decoding media signals, includes the operations of generating at a transmitting side multiple descriptions associated to data of the media signals through a downsampling operation performed on the data, and decoding at a receiving side the multiple descriptions for reconstructing the data by merging the multiple descriptions. The operation of generating multiple descriptions further includes the operations of obtaining a spectral representation of the data, including bands associated to different ranges, the bands being obtained by a suitable quantization operation and including at least one highly quantized band, that is subjected to a higher degree of quantization. A scrambling operation is performed on the spectral representation by moving the at least one highly quantized band to a different range, the scrambling operation being performed prior the downsampling operation. In decoding, a descrambling operation is performed before the merging operation on the multiple descriptions.

Abstract: The system carries out conversion of digital video signals organized in blocks of pixels from a first format to a second format. The second format is a format compressed via vector quantization. The vector quantization is performed by means of repeated application of a scalar quantizer to the pixels of said blocks with a quantization step (Q) determined in an adaptive way according to the characteristics of sharpness and/or brightness of the pixels.

Abstract: In a pressure sensor with double measuring scale: a monolithic body of semiconductor material has a first main surface, a bulk region and a sensitive portion upon which pressure acts; a cavity is formed in the monolithic body and is separated from the first main surface by a membrane, which is flexible and deformable as a function of the pressure, and is arranged inside the sensitive portion and is surrounded by the bulk region; a low-pressure detecting element of the piezoresistive type, sensitive to first values of pressure, is integrated in the membrane and has a variable resistance as a function of the deformation of the membrane; in addition, a high-pressure detecting element, also of a piezoresistive type, is formed in the bulk region inside the sensitive portion and has a variable resistance as a function of the pressure. The high-pressure detecting element is sensitive to second values of pressure.

Abstract: A pressure sensor including a pressure-sensor element having a monolithic body of semiconductor material, and a first main face and a second main face acting on which is a stress resulting from a pressure, the value of which is to be determined; and a package enclosing the pressure-sensor element. The package has an inner chamber containing liquid material, and the pressure-sensor element is arranged within the inner chamber in such a manner that the first and second main faces are both in contact with the liquid material. In particular, the liquid material is a silicone gel.

Abstract: In a pressure sensor with double measuring scale: a monolithic body of semiconductor material has a first main surface, a bulk region and a sensitive portion upon which pressure acts; a cavity is formed in the monolithic body and is separated from the first main surface by a membrane, which is flexible and deformable as a function of the pressure, and is arranged inside the sensitive portion and is surrounded by the bulk region; a low-pressure detecting element of the piezoresistive type, sensitive to first values of pressure, is integrated in the membrane and has a variable resistance as a function of the deformation of the membrane; in addition, a high-pressure detecting element, also of a piezoresistive type, is formed in the bulk region inside the sensitive portion and has a variable resistance as a function of the pressure. The high-pressure detecting element is sensitive to second values of pressure.

Abstract: In an integrated pressure sensor with a high full-scale value, a monolithic body of semiconductor material has a first and a second main surface, opposite and separated by a substantially uniform distance. The monolithic body has a bulk region, having a sensitive portion next to the first main surface, upon which pressure acts. A first piezoresistive detection element is integrated in the sensitive portion and has a variable resistance as a function of the pressure. The bulk region is a solid and compact region and has a thickness substantially equal to the distance.

Abstract: The bitrate of a digital signal is adapted in a dynamic way to the bandwidth available on a transmission channel, through the operations of: converting the digital signal into a multiple-description format, so as to have available a plurality of descriptions of the digital signal; and transmitting on the transmission channel descriptions of the digital signal chosen from among said plurality of multiple descriptions, the number of the transmitted descriptions being determined as a function of the bandwidth available on the transmission channel.

Abstract: The method is directed to encoding/decoding a video signal sequence by generating therefrom multiple description subsequences wherein the subsequences are produced by a plurality of parallel video encoding processes based on respective encoding parameters. The method includes the step of commonly controlling the encoding/decoding parameters for the plurality of video encoding/decoding processes.

Abstract: The system carries out conversion of digital video signals organized in blocks of pixels from a first format to a second format. The second format is a format compressed via vector quantization. The vector quantization is performed by means of repeated application of a scalar quantizer to the pixels of said blocks with a quantization step (Q) determined in an adaptive way according to the characteristics of sharpness and/or brightness of the pixels.

Abstract: A digital AM demodulator, particularly for demodulating an input signal originating from a tuner, includes a first carrier generator for generating a first carrier signal which is not correlated with the input signal, and a multiplier for multiplying the first carrier signal by the input signal. Filters are arranged upstream and downstream of the multiplier for filtering undesired signals. The digital AM demodulator further includes a circuit for detecting a phase shift between a frequency of the input signal and a frequency of a local carrier signal. A correlation circuit correlates the first carrier signal with the input signal. The first carrier signal and the local carrier signal are mutually correlated, whereas the local carrier signal is not correlated with the input signal.