Abstract: A flip chip integrated circuit device (110) is provided having a surface, a perimeter, and solder bumps (112) located on the surface. At least one solder bump (112), and preferably a plurality of solder bumps (112), are spaced apart from the perimeter of the device (110). Electrically conductive runners (118) extend from the perimeter of the device (110) to each of those solder bumps (112) that are spaced apart from the perimeter, so as to electrically interconnect the solder bumps (112) to a point, such as a pad (116), at the perimeter. As a result, not all of the solder bumps (112) employed by the device (110) need be accommodated at the perimeter of the device (110), such that the size and number of the solder bumps (112) does not dictate the size of the device (110).

Abstract: An automotive instrument cluster has closely spaced face plate and circuit board and a compact gauge including a housing mounted on the side of the circuit board facing the face plate. A light conducting pointer has a two-part snap-together hub extending into the gauge housing and an end face adjacent surface mount LEDs on the circuit board for direct pointer illumination. A gear on the hub is driven by another gear on a stepper motor which is offset from the pointer hub. The stepper motor has a permanent magnet armature supported by the housing and the circuit board, and surface mount electromagnets on the circuit board to provide a motor field.

Abstract: A method for forming a motion sensor for sensing motion or acceleration of a body, such as the type used in VCR cameras and onboard automotive and aerospace safety control system or navigational system. The motion sensor includes a sensing structure, such as a resonating metal ring and spring structure, which is supported above a substrate and circumscribed by an electrode pattern. The sensing structure is supported above the substrate by an electrically-conductive post located at the axis of motion. The electrodes serve to drive the ring into resonance, balance the sensing structure by inducing stiffness in the ring and springs, and sense rotary motion of the ring. To electrically interconnect the ring with the electrodes, three non-dielectric layers are formed on the substrate to form a radial conductor pattern, a concentric conductor pattern and a bias plane beneath the sensing structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device characterized by a field limiting ring formed by a number of field limiting cells that define wells which are laterally diffused to form a continuous equipotential ring between interior and exterior regions of a semiconductor device. A number of active cells are formed in the interior region, and are therefore delineated from the exterior region of the device. Each of these active cells is a transistor, and preferably a field-effect transistor, whose structure is essentially identical to the field limiting cells, except that their wells are not merged but instead are isolated from each other. The field limiting ring increases the breakdown voltage and the ruggedness of device, and therefore enables the device to sustain high voltages when the device is in the off-state. The process does not require masking, implanting and diffusion steps for the sole purpose of forming the field limiting ring, but is instead fully integrated with the semiconductor process for forming the active cells.

Abstract: A control knob is secured to a D-shaped shaft or lever of a switch or potentiometer which is supported on a control panel. The control panel is molded plastic and is furnished with detent ramps or indentations in its surface adjacent the shaft or lever. A D-spring between the knob and the shaft retains the knob in the shaft and has a laterally extending leaf spring with a detent button formed in the leaf near its free end. The leaf spring biases the detent button against the detent ramps to afford detent action upon rotation of a shaft or linear movement of a lever. The detent ramps are formed in a forward-facing surface of the panel or in a wall formed by a recess or aperture in the panel. The leaf spring is shaped to accommodate the position of the detent ramps.

Abstract: In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a programmable integrated transducer amplifier circuit is provided which receives differential outputs from a transducer, such as a pressure or accelerometer transducer. The programmable integrated transducer amplifier circuit includes binary adjustable circuits that are programmed in response to binary coded signals. The binary adjustable circuits generate binary weighted currents that are employed to adjust the operating characteristics of the amplifier circuit. The binary coded signals are received from a programmable memory array which includes a plurality of memory cells that store binary information. Each of the memory cells are programmed when coupled to a programming signal. Additionally, the memory array has pretest capability for testing outputs of the memory cells prior to permanently programming the respective memory cells.

Abstract: A low signal detection circuit for use in an electronic tolling system which wakes up a receiver circuit associated with the tolling system based upon the type of signal received. An RF signal transmitted by the electronic tolling system is Manchester encoded and will therefore have a frequency within predetermined values. The system will detect the incoming RF signals or count the rising and falling edges of the baseband signal and apply the counts to a threshold circuit which will compare the number of counts to a predetermined value. If the number of counts falls within a predetermined range, then a signal indicating the presence of a valid RF signal will be output from the wake-up circuit. A power management circuit receives a clock signal from an oscillator circuit and provides a power signal which will wake up the detection circuitry for only a minimum predetermined period of time.

Abstract: An infrared sensor for determining the temperature of a car interior includes a thermistor and a thermopile in a can and a protective window which exposes the thermopile to the thermal energy of the car interior. The combined outputs of these thermally sensitive elements represents the interior radiant temperature. The effectiveness of the thermopile changes if the window gets dirty to change its output. A resistive heater on the can is used to heat the sensor during calibration. A microprocessor receiving the outputs of the sensor has an algorithm for adjusting a gain which compensates for sensor changes. When the interior temperature is stable, the sensor is heated and thermistor values before and after heating the sensor are used as a basis for adjustment of the gain.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for micromachining the surface of a silicon substrate which encompasses a minimal number of processing steps. The method involves a preferential etching process in which a chlorine plasma etch is capable of laterally etching an N+ buried layer beneath the surface of the bulk substrate. Such a method is particularly suitable for forming sensing devices which include a small micromachined element, such as a bridge, cantilevered beam, membrane, suspended mass or capacitive element, which is supported over a cavity formed in a bulk silicon substrate. The method also permits the formation of such sensing devices on the same substrate as their controlling integrated circuits. This invention also provides novel methods by which such structures can be improved, such as through optimizing the dimensional characteristics of the micromachined element or by encapsulating the micromachined element.

Abstract: A gauge mounted on one side of a face plate by mounting ears drives a light conducting pointer on the other side via a spindle extending through a hole in the plate, and has terminal pins coupled to a circuit board. An LED holder has a transverse bridge extending across the gauge and has mounting ears also secured to the face plate. The holder supports an LED in the hole adjacent the spindle for directly illuminating the pointer. The holder has legs which extend toward the circuit board and contain terminal pins coupled at one end to the board. LED leads are connected to the other end of the terminal pins. Alternatively, the terminal pins are omitted and rigid LED leads extend down the legs to directly couple to the circuit board. The pointer is illuminated with different colors in different ranges of movement by using LEDs of different colors of light emission and positioned to selectively light the pointer.

Abstract: A stackable voltage comparator circuit that may be used in an analog voltage address decoder circuit for performing voltage window comparisons. The voltage comparator circuit includes a plurality of voltage comparator circuit cells, each of which includes a differential input stage made up of a pair of transistors which receives a current source. A first comparator circuit cell includes a differential input pair of transistors with one of the transistors having a first collector and a second collector, with the second collector being coupled to an output line. The first comparator circuit cell compares an input window with a first threshold voltage and produces an output at the output line. A second comparator circuit cell compares the input voltage with a second threshold voltage and includes a second differential input pair of transistors.

Abstract: A coolant shutoff valve is closed when a motor-operated temperature door is moved to full cold position to prevent heating of air due to radiation, conduction, convection, or leakage around the door. The motor moves the door to hot or cold limit positions and remains in a stall condition to maintain such positions. A motor control responsive to operator selected temperature moves the door to such limit positions. A shutoff circuit associated with the motor control senses whether a hot or cold mode is selected and detects from the motor current whether the motor is stalled. When the circuit determines both a cold mode and motor stall current an actuation signal is sent to the shutoff valve.

Abstract: A parabolic current generator is provided for use with a waveshaping circuit for producing a sinusoidally increasing bus output voltage signal in response to the rising edge of a data input signal, and a sinusoidally decreasing bus output voltage signal in response to a falling edge of the data input signal. The parabolic current generator provides a current that increases parabolically in response to the rising or falling edge of the data input signal and that decreases parabolically when the bus output voltage signal reaches one-half of its intended full voltage swing or falls below one-half of the full voltage swing to respectively produce the sinusoidally increasing and decreasing voltage at the bus output. The parabolic current generator includes an operational amplifier having an integrating capacitor connected between its non-inverting input and its output. A field effect transistor is connected to its inverting input and has an impedance sized to minimize the capacitor value.

Abstract: A vehicle antenna comprises a transparent, electrically conducting, film between the inner and outer glass sheets of a vehicle window. The film comprises a horizontally elongate principal element substantially parallel to and spaced from the upper edge portion of the window aperture and having an effective horizontal length of an odd multiple of one quarter of a predetermined wavelength and an impedance matching element. The impedance matching element comprises a main portion having a peripheral edge with a horizontal upper portion spaced below the principal element and a remainder spaced from the remaining edge portion of the window aperture so as to form a slot transmission line having an effective length of one half the wavelength, which is preferably in the commercial FM band. The impedance matching element further comprises a narrow vertical portion connecting the main portion to the principal element, so that the slot transmission line is parasitically coupled to the principal element.

Abstract: A voltage clamping circuit is provided for clamping the input voltage to CMOS devices near the rail voltages so as to prevent forward biased junctions, minority carrier injection and crosstalk between voltage inputs. The voltage clamping circuit receives an input voltage and provides an output voltage within a rail-to-rail voltage range. The clamping circuit has a bias circuit with a PMOS device for providing a p-channel threshold drop to an upper rail voltage so as to generate an upper threshold bias voltage. The bias circuit also has an NMOS device for providing an n-channel threshold increase to a lower rail voltage so as to generate a lower threshold bias voltage. A first clamping transistor is coupled to the input for clamping the input voltage so as to prevent the input voltage from rising above the upper rail voltage. A second clamping transistor is coupled to the input for clamping the input voltage so as to prevent the input voltage from dropping below the lower rail voltage.

Abstract: To test a controller for a motor having a position feedback signal, a simulation circuit programmable by test equipment replaces the actual motor and emulates motors of various types. Motor direction command signals from the controller are detected by comparators in the simulation circuit and a counter is incremented or decremented according to the detected command. The initial count value, representing a beginning motor position and the count rate of change, representing motor speed, are programmed by the test equipment. The count is converted with high resolution to an analog feedback signal which is coupled to the controller.

Abstract: An inductive sensing element for sensing displacement of a resilient flexible beam or diaphragm. The inductive sensing element comprises an open faced member and a closed faced member one of which is attachable to the flexible beam and the other of which is attachable to a stationary member. The parameters of both the open and closed faced members are selected so that the self-inductance of the open faced member is determined by the overall distance separating the members. Both the open and closed faced members have a magnetic coating and the open face member further comprises an electrically conductive coating arranged in a predetermined pattern on its magnetic coating.

Abstract: A readily manufacturable low inductance linear semiconductor switching module having coplanar contacts. Also disclosed is a pretestable terminal subassembly for such a module, and a method of making such a terminal subassembly. The module can contain high power, high frequency semiconductor switching devices, operating at high power but low inductance. The module incorporates compositional, geometrical and electrical symmetry in a linear configuration. The terminal subassembly is readily fabricated and assembled into the module. In addition, it permits use of short internal leads that are readily connected to the terminal subassembly.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, noise suppression circuitry is described for reducing noise, AM band noise in particular, radiated from a strobed load driver circuit. The load driver circuit includes a low-voltage latch circuit for latching data relating to the load to a plurality of high-voltage load driver circuits, each connected to a source of high-voltage. The noise suppression circuitry is operable to receive a data strobe signal from a signal source, such as a microprocessor, and to decrease the high voltage to the plurality of high-voltage load driver circuits at a predetermined rate. When the voltage has decreased to a predetermined level, the latch circuit is provided with a data strobe signal to thereby latch the data to the high-voltage load driver circuits under low voltage conditions, thus significantly reducing the AM band noise radiated from the strobed load driver circuit.

Abstract: An air temperature sensor and an infrared sensor are used along with an outside temperature sensor to control an HVAC system. During vehicle operation the IR sensor views an occupant seating area and realistically determines the thermal comfort level and the air temperature adds stability to that determination to control the air output. For dual zone systems two IR sensors separately monitor the two zones for accurate control of each zone air output. When the vehicle is not operating, the internal temperature is monitored and compared to a threshold and to outside temperature to turn on ventilation for limiting the internal temperature, subject to sufficient battery voltage.