Abstract: A sensor for potential and/or impedance measurements on a body including at least one sensor connected to a master; the master including a power supply supplying a power signal transmitted to the at least one sensor; said at least one sensor including a first sensor fork sub-circuit configured to supply a positive current to a first circuit branch and a negative current to a second circuit branch; the at least one sensor further including a control circuit configured for controlling the positive and/or negative current in order to transmit an information signal to the master, and/or to control a first controlled signal to a first desired signal; and a second electrical connection connecting the at least one sensor to the master; the control circuit being further configured for harvesting energy from the alternating voltage supplied by the master to power the at least one sensor.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a single-side-contacted photovoltaic device (1), comprising the steps of: a) providing a photovoltaically-active substrate (3) defining a plurality of alternating hole collecting zones (3a) and electron collecting zones (3b) arranged in parallel strips; b) depositing a conductive layer (5) across said zones; c) depositing at least one conductive track (9) extending along at least part of each of said zones (3a, 3b); d) selectively forming a dielectric layer (7) on each of said zones (3a, 3b), so as to leave an exposed area free of dielectric at an interface between adjacent zones (3a, 3b); e) etching said conductive layer (5) in said exposed areas; f) applying a plurality of interconnecting conductors (11a, 11b) so as to electrically interconnect at least a portion of said hole collecting zones (3a) with each other, and to electrically interconnect at least a portion of said electron collecting zones (3b) with each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a timepiece comprising at least one first part produced by a microfabrication or microforming method in at least one first material, said method comprising at least: a step of depositing, on said first part, without moulding, at least one second part of said timepiece in at least one second material, and a step of treating the second material in order to connect together the components on the first part.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least a first layer and a second layer affixed to each other by means of an encapsulant, said method comprising steps of: providing a lamination device; disposing said first layer in said lamination device, disposing upon said first layer an encapsulant material manufactured by the steps of: providing a base resin comprising a silane-modified polyolefin and having a melting point below 90° C., forming a mixture of said base resin and an additive comprising a crosslinking catalyst, said cross-linking catalyst being present in a proportion of 0.01 to 5 parts per hundred of resin, melting said mixture at a temperature between 90° C. and 190° C., preferably between 160° C. and 180° C.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating a node of a power distribution system in an optimised manner so as to minimise transmission losses on an external power bus. A power generator feeds in electrical energy via an inverter capable of carrying out Volt/VAR control under the command of an optimiser associated with a supervised learning model such as a support vector machine. This optimisation takes place in two distinct training phases, one in which the supervised learning model is trained, another in which optimal control parameters for the inverter are obtained.

Abstract: A device for determining the position of a light source, including an optical mask with a periodic pattern casting a shadow on an imager placed at a multiple of the Talbot distance or at a fraction of the Talbot distance.

Abstract: A method that prints a functional element on a surface of a receiving area of a timepiece component of a timepiece contributing to regulating the rate of this timepiece includes preparing a solution containing a material constituting the functional element and depositing the prepared solution onto the surface of the receiving area. Specific properties of the solution are defined as a function of preparation criteria and include at least one structural modification feature of the timepiece component, at least one construction feature of the functional element on the receiving area, at least one structural feature of the material to be applied to the receiving area, and at least one feature of the receiving area of the component.

Abstract: Method for determining a blood pressure value including the steps of: providing a pulsatility signal, determining a time-related feature and a normalized amplitude-related feature on the basis of the pulsatility signal; and calculating a blood pressure value on the basis of a blood pressure function depending on the time-related feature, the normalized amplitude-related feature and function parameters.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method including: a) obtaining a substrate extending in a predetermined plane with a first layer parallel to the plane; b) forming a through-hole in the first layer; c) depositing a second layer on the first, the second layer filling the a through-hole to form a bridge of material; d) etching a hairspring in an etching layer made up of the second layer or the substrate, the one of the second layer and the substrate in which the a hairspring is not etched constituting a support, the bridge of material connecting the hairspring to the support perpendicular to the predetermined plane; e) removing the first layer, the hairspring remaining attached to the support by the bridge of material; f) subjecting the hairspring to a thermal treatment; and g) detaching the hairspring from the support.

Abstract: A micromechanical timepiece, and a method for making the same, having a plurality of mutually secured functional sub-assemblies stacked in a direction (Z) to form a multistage assembly, wherein each functional sub-assembly comprises a single semiconductor material and is secured to another sub-assembly via bridges made of the semiconductor material, and in that at least one sub-assembly comprises at least two portions, the portions being movable relative to each other and relative to another sub-assembly to which at least one of the portions is secured via at least one deformable link integrally formed between the portions.

Abstract: A balance of a timepiece including an adjustment face provided with at least one recess provided for receiving a projected material for an implementation of an adjustment of the rate of the timepiece notably by the modification of the inertia and of the unbalance of the balance, the recess including an opening and a back notably a solid back or a back fully or partially forming an orifice, the back being at most partially visible from a position defined above the opening notably on a central axis of the opening.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device including a compliant mechanism including: a first monolithic flexible element, having first and second ends defining a first longitudinal direction, arranged such that it is able to be subjected to an elastic deformation involving a relative movement between its first and second ends; and at least a second monolithic flexible element, having first and second ends defining a second longitudinal direction distinct from the first longitudinal direction, arranged such that it is able to be subjected to an elastic deformation involving a relative movement between its first and second ends. At least one of the first and second monolithic flexible elements includes at least one opening located between its first and second ends and defining a passage for a portion of the other monolithic flexible element such that the first and second monolithic flexible elements are interlocked.

Abstract: The mechanical timepiece regulator of the invention comprises a flexure bearing oscillator and a double detent escapement, the oscillator comprising a balance wheel (1) connected to an elastic suspension (2a, 2b) arranged to guide and apply a restoring force to the balance wheel (1) in a plane of oscillation. The escapement comprises an escape wheel (3) and an anchor (4) integrated into the balance wheel (1) and having two arms (5, 6) arranged to receive alternately the impulses of the escape wheel (3). The escapement furthermore comprises two detents (7, 8) alternately locking the escape wheel (3) between two impulses and interacting with the arms (5, 6) of the anchor to release the escape wheel (3) before each impulse, without direct interaction between the anchor and the escape wheel.

Abstract: A pivot mechanism for guiding in rotation comprises a mobile element connected to a fixed element through flexible connections; with the flexible elements being configured to guide the mobile element according to a rotational movement in a plane, around a pivoting axis perpendicular to the plane; with each of the flexible connections comprising an intermediary junction provided with an expansion slot, the expansion slot being configured to expand during the rotation of the mobile element, so that the mobile element can pivot according to a second angular amplitude that is greater than a first angular amplitude achieved without said expansion slot; with the intermediary junctions being connected to one another by a coupling member; each of the coupling members being configured so as to prevent a movement out of the plane and a lateral movement in the plane of the mobile element. The pivot mechanism has a very high rotational amplitude.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a single-side-contacted photovoltaic device (1), comprising the steps of: a) providing a photovoltaically-active substrate (3) defining a plurality of alternating hole collecting zones (3a) and electron collecting zones (3b) arranged in parallel strips; b) depositing a conductive layer (5) across said zones; c) depositing at least one conductive track (9) extending along at least part of each of said zones (3a, 3b); d) selectively forming a dielectric layer (7) on each of said zones (3a, 3b), so as to leave an exposed area free of dielectric at an interface between adjacent zones (3a, 3b); e) etching said conductive layer (5) in said exposed areas; f) applying a plurality of interconnecting conductors (11a, 11b) so as to electrically interconnect at least a portion of said hole collecting zones (3a) with each other, and to electrically interconnect at least a portion of said electron collecting zones (3b) with each other.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least a first layer and a second layer affixed to each other by means of an encapsulant, said method comprising a lamination step wherein the encapsulant material comprises a silane-modified polyolefin having a melting point below 90° C., pigment particles and an additive comprising a cross-linking catalyst; and wherein in said lamination step heat and pressure are applied to the module, said heat being applied at a temperature between 60° C. and 125° C.

Abstract: A nano-structured optical wavelength transmission filter is provided. The optical filter includes a patterned substrate on which a high refractive index dielectric waveguide is arranged. A low index dielectric layer is arranged on the high refractive index dielectric waveguide, on which an array of metallic nanostructures is arranged. The layers of the optical filter have conformal shapes defined by a patterned surface of the substrate. An optical filter system includes the optical transmission filter and a detector array fixed to the substrate. A spectrometer includes at least one optical transmission filter and/or at least one said optical transmission filter system, and has a spectral resolution of lower than 30 nm for incident light having a wavelength between 300 nm and 790 nm. A method of fabrication of an optical filter, an optical filter system and a spectrometer is also described.

Abstract: A resonant waveguide grating includes a waveguiding layer and a plurality of subwavelength structures. The waveguiding layer, being in optical proximity to the plurality of subwavelength structures, is configured to guide at most ten wave-guided light modes. The plurality of subwavelength structures includes at least two adjacent grooves having a subwavelength distance between their groove centers being different than the subwavelength distance between the centers of two adjacent ridges. The plurality of subwavelength structures is configured to couple out of the waveguiding layer resonantly by diffraction, an outcoupled fraction of an incoupled portion of incident light. The outcoupled fraction is a diffracted part of an incident light beam. A diffractive optical combiner and a diffractive optical coupler, both include the resonant waveguide grating of the invention. A near-eye display apparatus includes at least the resonant waveguide grating of the invention.

Abstract: Gas measurement sensor including: a measurement chamber including an inlet and outlet for a gaseous sample to be measured; an infrared light source producing substantially collimated infrared light and to direct the infrared light into the measurement chamber; a beam splitter situated in the measurement chamber so as to receive the infrared light and to split the infrared light into a reference beam and a measurement beam such that the measurement beam has a longer pathway through the measurement chamber than the reference beam; a reference infrared detector arranged to receive the reference beam; and a measurement infrared detector arranged to receive the measurement beam. The beam splitter is arranged to reflect a first portion of the infrared light by specular reflection so as to form the reference beam, and to reflect a second portion of the infrared light by specular reflection so as to form the measurement beam.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a micromechanical component intended to cooperate with another micromechanical component, the method comprising the steps of providing a substrate, forming a mould on said substrate, said mould defining sidewalls arranged to delimit said micromechanical component, providing particles on at least said sidewalls, depositing a metal in said mould so as to form said micromechanical component, and liberating said micromechanical component from said mould and removing said particles.