Abstract: It is provided an apparatus for transferring energy to an accumulator, the apparatus having a core and a wire wound around the core thereby forming a coil, wherein the coil is adapted to receive energy from a magnetic field, wherein the wire is connectable to the accumulator to transfer the received energy to the accumulator. A charging station for generating a magnetic field for transferring energy to an accumulator is provided, and a system for charging an electric accumulator is provided, wherein the system includes an apparatus as described above; and a charging station having a further wire wound such as to form a further coil.

Abstract: A transistor arrangement is disclosed. The transistor arrangement includes at least first and second sets of sense cells and at least one set of main cells. Each set of sense cells shares drain and gate connections with an associated set of main cells, with a different ratio of number of sense cells to associated main cells for the first set as for the second set.

Abstract: A current measuring circuit for providing a current flow signal indicative of current flow between a first terminal and a second terminal includes a main transistor, a sense transistor, a bypass switch, an output amplifier for providing a current flow signal, and a controller for enabling current flow through each of respective drain-source paths of the main and sense transistors or a controllable conduction path of the bypass switch.

Abstract: A method of providing a clock frequency to a processor is described. The method in accordance with the invention comprises the step of providing at least one reference signal and the step of determining a control value which relates to a desired first frequency. A second signal that relates to the control value is then used in a subsequent step as an input signal for a noise shaper. Then, a first signal which has the first frequency is generated by combining the output of the noise shaper with one of the at least one reference signals. The first signal is used as a clock frequency of the processor. In a preferred embodiment, one reference signal with a fixed reference frequency is provided. The reference signal is gated or enabled and hold by the output signal provided by a 1-bit noise shaper, whereby the first frequency is generated which is then used as processor clock frequency.

Abstract: A TDMA method of operating a near-field communication system, in which the same synchronous slot is allocated to more than one, non-interfering, transmitters, is disclosed. The power level may be adjusted to minimize interference from unwanted transmitted signals at respective receivers. A near-field communication system operating such a method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A wireless receiver is activated periodically to measure the level of received signals. It measures the average received level over a plurality of the activation periods, and enables the supply of power to receiver circuitry dependent on the measured average value. In one embodiment the power is enabled if an increase in the average value is detected which is greater than a predetermined margin. The average value may be measured in a sliding or stepped window. In another embodiment the power is enabled if the level in an activation period exceeds the average value by a predetermined margin.

Abstract: A current monitoring circuit is disclosed. The current monitoring circuit includes a main transistor arrangement for connection in series with a load and a set of one or more measurement branches in parallel with the main transistor arrangement. Each measurement branch comprises a series resistor and switch for controlling the connection of the branch into circuit. A gate controller is provided for controlling the switching of the main transistor arrangement and branch switches and a sense amplifier is included for measuring a current through the load based on the current flowing through the main transistor arrangement or a branch.

Abstract: A current measuring circuit (100; 200; 300) for providing a current flow signal indicative of current flow between a first terminal (102; 202; 302) and second terminal (104; 204; 304), comprising: a main transistor having a main drain, a main source (105; 205) and a main gate (109; 209), wherein the main source (105; 205) and the main drain (109; 209) define a main source-drain path, the main drain (109; 209) is connected to the first terminal (102; 202; 302), the main source is connected to the second terminal (104; 204; 304) and the main gate is connected to a first control terminal (109; 209); a sense transistor having a sense drain, a sense source (107; 207) and a sense gate, wherein the sense source and the sense drain define a sense source-drain path, the sense drain is connected to the first terminal (102; 202; 302) and the sense gate is connected to the first control terminal (109; 209); a bypass switch (108; 208; 308) having: a controllable conduction path connected in parallel with the sense dra

Abstract: Various automatic range scaling solutions for smart power switches are provided, to enable current monitoring across a wide dynamic range. Use is made of current sensing transistors which implement different current sensing ratios.

Abstract: Various automatic range scaling solutions for smart power switches are provided, to enable current monitoring across a wide dynamic range. In preferred examples, use is made of current sensing transistors. The circuits provide overload protection combined with wide range current measurement.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring the shape of an object using a magnetic induction radio sensor involves at least partially enclosing the object with a magnetic loop antenna of the magnetic induction radio sensor, where the inductance of the magnetic loop antenna depends on the shape of the object, and providing a particular capacitance at an antenna matching circuit coupled to the magnetic loop antenna in response to the inductance of the magnetic loop antenna such that the magnetic loop antenna and the antenna matching circuit form a resonant circuit and the resonant circuit has a fixed resonant frequency, where the particular capacitance is used to measure the shape of the object.

Abstract: A TDMA method of operating a near-field communication system, in which the same synchronous slot is allocated to more than one, non-interfering, transmitters, is disclosed. The power level may be adjusted to minimise interference from unwanted transmitted signals at respective receivers. A near-field communication system operating such a method is also disclosed.

Abstract: It is provided an apparatus for transferring energy to an accumulator, the apparatus having a core and a wire wound around the core thereby forming a coil, wherein the coil is adapted to receive energy from a magnetic field, wherein the wire is connectable to the accumulator to transfer the received energy to the accumulator. A charging station for generating a magnetic field for transferring energy to an accumulator is provided, and a system for charging an electric accumulator is provided, wherein the system includes an apparatus as described above; and a charging station having a further wire wound such as to form a further coil.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring the shape of an object using a magnetic induction radio sensor involves at least partially enclosing the object with a magnetic loop antenna of the magnetic induction radio sensor, where the inductance of the magnetic loop antenna depends on the shape of the object, and providing a particular capacitance at an antenna matching circuit coupled to the magnetic loop antenna in response to the inductance of the magnetic loop antenna such that the magnetic loop antenna and the antenna matching circuit form a resonant circuit and the resonant circuit has a fixed resonant frequency, where the particular capacitance is used to measure the shape of the object.

Abstract: A wireless receiver is activated periodically to measure the level of received signals. It measures the average received level over a plurality of the activation periods, and enables the supply of power to receiver circuitry dependent on the measured average value. In one embodiment the power is enabled if an increase in the average value is detected which is greater than a predetermined margin. The average value may be measured in a sliding or stepped window. In another embodiment the power is enabled if the level in an activation period exceeds the average value by a predetermined margin.

Abstract: A method of providing a clock frequency to a processor is described. The method in accordance with the invention comprises the step of providing at least one reference signal and the step of determining a control value which relates to a desired first frequency. A second signal that relates to the control value is then used in a subsequent step as an input signal for a noise shaper. Then, a first signal which has the first frequency is generated by combining the output of the noise shaper with one of the at least one reference signals. The first signal is used as a clock frequency of the processor. In a preferred embodiment, one reference signal with a fixed reference frequency is provided. The reference signal is gated or enabled and hold by the output signal provided by a 1-bit noise shaper, whereby the first frequency is generated which is then used as processor clock frequency.

Abstract: There is provided a method of balancing power consumption between a first load and at least one second load, wherein the first load and the at least one second load are connected to a power supply, and wherein the method comprises the step of determining deviations in an actual output voltage with respect to a desired voltage of the power supply, wherein the deviations are due to a change of the magnitude of any of the at least one second load. The method further comprises the step of regulating the first load until the actual output voltage corresponds to the desired voltage for a compensation of the change of the magnitude. The first load is preferably due to a processor. The first load of the processor is thus adjusted in order to compensate for the change of the second load. Preferably, the processor load is adapted by an adaptation of the processor's clock frequency.

Abstract: Signal processing system (1), for example a sound signal processing system or a hearing aid device, comprising: —at least one signal input (5); —at least one signal output (7), —at least one signal processor (3), the signal processor (3) being configured to process signals received from the signal input (5), and to feed processed signals to the signal output (7) via at least one processor output (17); —at least one by-pass system (9, 11) configured to fade-out and/or decouple the processor output (17) at least partly from the at least one signal output (7), and to couple and/or fade-in the at least one signal input (5) at least partly to the at least one signal output (7) during the mentioned fading out and/or decoupling of the processor output (17). The invention also relates to a signal processing method.

Abstract: A wearable device comprising at least two measuring devices (2,3,4,5,6) providing primary data, a processor (1) designed for calculating secondary data from the primary data, for calculating reference data from the primary and/or the secondary data and for comparing the reference data with at least two specific data pattern to automatically recognize an activity, and a memory (7) designed for storing the primary, the secondary data and the at least two specific data pattern each assigned to a certain activity. The activity recognition is performed by loading the primary and/or the secondary data to the processor (1), calculating the reference data, comparing the reference data with the specific data patterns, assigning the primary and/or the secondary data with the recognized activity and storing the assigned primary and/or secondary data in the memory (7).

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of caching a part of digital content data from a content source (202), comprising the step of: acquiring the digital content data from the content source (202), wherein said part of the digital content data comprises interleaved segments (130; 131) of the acquired digital content data, and said interleaved segments (130; 131) of the acquired digital content data are stored on first storage means (203), thereby allowing for fast access to said digital content data. The disclosure moreover relates to a device for carrying out such a method. The content sources can be DVD, CD, CD-ROM, hard disk, RAM, Flash memory or remote sources accessible over a network, such as the Internet.