Abstract: An integrated circuit with a patching function comprises a one-time programmable memory (OTP), a random access memory (RAM), and a control unit. The control unit copies data stored on the OTP into the RAM to obtain a copied image mirroring said data. It checks for presence of one or more patch instructions in the OTP, and, if a patch instruction is found in the OTP, modifies a portion of the copied image based on the patch instruction, to obtain a patched image stored in the RAM. The integrated circuit further comprises a processing unit configured to access the patched image in the RAM. The patch can be provided wirelessly.

Abstract: A method and system for improving echo suppression and/or duplexity of handsfree telephone applications is presented. An echo suppression unit for an electronic device comprising a loudspeaker and a microphone is described. The microphone is configured to capture a transmit signal, wherein the transmit signal comprises an echo of a receive signal rendered by the loudspeaker. The echo suppression unit is configured to determine, based on the receive signal, whether the receive signal comprises a first frequency component causing the echo of the receive signal to comprise a distortion component. The distortion component comprises one or more frequencies which are not comprised within the first frequency component. Furthermore, the echo suppression unit is configured to apply a post-filter to the transmit signal, if it is determined that the receive signal comprises the first frequency component. The post-filter is configured to selectively attenuate the distortion component.

Abstract: An integrated circuit, comprising a single-ended pin for transmitting and/or receiving an RF signal. A first matching network is configured to match an impedance of the RF signal. A second matching network is configured to match an impedance of an on-chip differential circuit. A third matching network is configured to match an impedance of an on-chip single-ended circuit, wherein the third matching network is connectable to the first matching network. A transformer is connected or connectable to the second matching network and to the first matching network. Switches control an operating mode of the integrated circuit The second matching network is connected with the first matching network via the transformer, or the third matching network is connected with the first matching network.

Abstract: An electrically programmable load having an impedance value dependent on a received control word. The electrically programmable load has several parallel load units. Each load unit has one or more load unit element who receive a control word component of the control word and have a load unit element impedance value which depends on a control word component value of the control word component, where the control word component value is one of three or more different biasing values.

Abstract: A method for constructing a phase locked loop begins with determining spurious frequency component criteria permitted within the PLL. A PLL filter prototype is selected with a desired settling time. A transfer function is generated based on the PLL transfer function that predicts the spurious components. A maximum level of the spurious components produced in the PLL is determined based on the maximum frequency step. If the maximum level of the spurious frequency components produced is too large, the order variable is incremented and the PLL transfer function is determined until the transfer function produces the spurious frequency components that meet the requirements. The components for a loop filter are selected based on the selected PLL transfer function. The adjustable frequency source tuning gain, the phase detector gain, the loop filter gain, and the divide factor are chosen to meet the requirements of the PLL transfer function.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling a digitized analog audio device from a control circuit communicating with the digitized analog audio device with a serial digital analog audio protocol on a serial communication medium multiplexes command data words within digitized analog audio data frames. The digitized analog audio device extracts the command data words from the digitized analog audio data frames. The command data word includes a keyword packet, a command packet, an optional address packet, and an optional data packet. The keyword packet, a command packet, an optional address packet, and an optional data packet are each inserted into a separate number of truncated digitized analog audio data frames for iterative and successive transmission. The iterative transmission of the packets of the command word decreases the likelihood that digitized analog audio frames would contain packets of the command word.

Abstract: Mobile electronic devices and related methods to achieve an enhanced security level are disclosed. A security module is deeply embedded in a non-open companion chip of the mobile device, wherein the companion chip controls vital functions of the mobile device. Any security technology can be provided by the security module. The security module can, in case of a security violation, disable all vital functions of the companion chip without requiring communicating to other components of the mobile device. The vital functions deployed in the companion chip comprise e.g. system power management or audio functions.

Abstract: An amplifier circuit and a method of amplification using automatic gain control (AGC) are disclosed. A method for reducing distortions incurred by an audio signal when being rendered by an electronic device is described. The method comprises receiving an input signal; determining signal strength; determining a frequency-dependent AGC filter; wherein the frequency-dependent AGC filter is adapted to selectively attenuate the input signal within a number N of predetermined frequency ranges, according to corresponding N degrees of attenuation; wherein N predetermined frequency ranges depend upon a rendering characteristic of the electronic device; and wherein the N-degrees of attenuation depend upon the signal strength; and attenuating the input signal using the frequency-dependent AGC filter to obtain an output signal for rendering by the electronic device.

Abstract: An electronic biasing circuit provides a DC bias voltage to a circuit to be biased. The biasing circuit has a first transistor and a second transistor. A gate of the first transistor is connected to a gate of the second transistor and supplies the DC bias voltage. A source of the first transistor is connected to a supply reference voltage. A source of the second transistor is connected to the supply reference voltage via a resistor element. The currents flowing through the first and second transistor are forced to be equal. A third transistor is connected in series with the first transistor and a fourth transistor is connected in series with the second transistor. Currents flowing through the third and fourth transistors are forced to be equal.

Abstract: Systems and methods thereof for obtaining metrics and an accurate threshold to prevent loudspeaker overheating, based on autocorrelation and cross-correlation of band-pass filtered current and voltage measurements are disclosed. The methods invented are based on instantaneous voltage and current measurements. The invention does not require a DC or pilot signal to be added to the audio signal in order to do perform the measurement, and it is not disturbed by capacitive or inductive components in the complex impedance of the voice coil.

Abstract: A method for constructing a phase locked loop begins with determining spurious frequency component criteria permitted within the PLL. A PLL filter prototype is selected with a desired settling time. A transfer function is generated based on the PLL transfer function that predicts the spurious components. A maximum level of the spurious components produced in the PLL is determined based on the maximum frequency step. If the maximum level of the spurious frequency components produced is too large, the order variable is incremented and the PLL transfer function is determined until the transfer function produces the spurious frequency components that meet the requirements. The components for a loop filter are selected based on the selected PLL transfer function. The adjustable frequency source tuning gain, the phase detector gain, the loop filter gain, and the divide factor are chosen to meet the requirements of the PLL transfer function.

Abstract: An electronic biasing circuit provides a DC bias voltage to a circuit to be biased. The biasing circuit has a first transistor and a second transistor. A gate of the first transistor is connected to a gate of the second transistor and supplies the DC bias voltage. A source of the first transistor is connected to a supply reference voltage. A source of the second transistor is connected to the supply reference voltage via a resistor element. The currents flowing through the first and second transistor are forced to be equal. A third transistor is connected in series with the first transistor and a fourth transistor is connected in series with the second transistor. Currents flowing through the third and fourth transistors are forced to be equal.

Abstract: A channel selection circuit in a serial audio communication device provides channel selection for insertion or extraction of data to or from a multiplexed serial data stream without the requirement of extra channel selection inputs. The channel selection circuit has multiple counters structured such that each counter represents a channel of the serial data stream. The input of each counter receives one of the multiple synchronizing timing signals. The input of the designated counter receives one timing signal that has the greatest frequency. The remaining counters receive the word select timing signals for determining which channel is being selected. A ready output of each counter is a channel indicator in communication with multiple signal selection circuits for selecting the multiple timing signals to be transferred to a data processing device for inserting or extracting data to or from the multiplexed serial data stream.

Abstract: An analog-digital converter circuit is disclosed. Voltage control means is configured to control a voltage. Comparing means is configured to send a resulting comparative signal to the voltage control means. A first DAC is connected to the comparing means and to the voltage control means. Switching means connects an input means to the comparing means during a sampling phase. A second DAC is connected to the comparing means and to the voltage control means. A switching means connects input to the second DAC during a sampling phase, and connects voltage control means to DAC during a conversion phase. Switching means connects a second input to comparing means during a sampling phase.

Abstract: A package is connected at a first side to a printed circuit board and with a die fixed to it on a second side opposite to the first side. The package has an integrated pre-match circuit to provide an impedance match for a signal to be sent to a circuit external to the package. The signal has a predetermined main frequency component. The pre-match circuit has a pair of transmission lines and a pair of stubs on a predetermined layer of the package and connected to the pair of transmission lines. The pair of stubs have a length such as to form a short circuit for an harmonic frequency of the main frequency component in the signal.

Abstract: A method of attenuating an input signal to obtain an output signal is described. The method comprises receiving the input signal, attenuating the input signal with a gain factor to obtain the output signal, applying a filter having a frequency response with a frequency-dependent filter gain to at least one of a copy of the input signal and a copy of the output signal to obtain a filtered signal, the frequency-dependent filter gain being arranged to emphasize frequencies within a number N of predetermined frequency ranges, N>1; wherein the filter comprises a sequence of N sub-filters, each one of the N sub-filters having a frequency response adapted to emphasize frequencies within a corresponding one of the N predetermined frequency ranges; determining a signal strength of the filtered signal, and determining the gain factor from at least the signal strength.

Abstract: A method and system for improving a perceived duplexity of handsfree telephone applications is disclosed. An echo suppression circuit for a device comprising loudspeaker and microphone is described. A circuit attenuates a subband of a transmit signal, wherein the transmit signal is captured by the microphone and wherein the transmit signal comprises an echo of a far-end signal rendered by the loudspeaker and a near-end signal. The attenuation circuit further determines a subband far-end indicator of a voice activity in the far-end signal; determines a subband near-end indicator of a voice activity of the near-end signal; determines a subband masking weight; determines a subband attenuation for the transmit signal in the subband; and attenuates the subband of the transmit signal using the determined subband attenuation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for executing an application program stored in an one-time-programmable, OTP, memory in a system on chip (SoC) is described. The SoC has RAM, a CPU and an OTP controller. The OTP memory stores an application program. The method includes, by the processor unit at power-up, instructing the OTP controller to copy the application program from the OTP memory to RAM, executing the application program from RAM, and setting the system on chip (SoC) in sleep mode. By the OTP controller after a wake-up, copying the application program from the OTP memory to the RAM and after the copying, waking up the CPU and transferring control back to the CPU. By the CPU after being woken up by the OTP controller, executing the application program from RAM.

Abstract: An electrically programmable load having an impedance value dependent on a received control word. The electrically programmable load has several parallel load units. Each load unit has one or more load unit element who receive a control word component of the control word and have a load unit element impedance value which depends on a control word component value of the control word component, where the control word component value is one of three or more different biasing values.

Abstract: An electronic biasing circuit provides a DC bias voltage to a circuit to be biased. The biasing circuit has a first transistor and a second transistor. A gate of the first transistor is connected to a gate of the second transistor and supplies the DC bias voltage. A source of the first transistor is connected to a supply reference voltage. A source of the second transistor is connected to the supply reference voltage via a resistor element. The currents flowing through the first and second transistor are forced to be equal. A third transistor is connected in series with the first transistor and a fourth transistor is connected in series with the second transistor. Currents flowing through the third and fourth transistors are forced to be equal.