Abstract: An electronic circuit for a portable battery-powered electronic device and a related system for wireless charging an electronic circuit for a portable battery-powered electronic device are disclosed. The electronic circuit is operable in a first mode as an actuator and in a second mode as a wireless charging receiver and comprises an electromechanical actuator, a capacitance, and a multi-mode switching circuitry. The electromechanical actuator comprises an inductor. The capacitance is selectively connectable to the inductor, at least in the second mode, to form therewith a resonant circuit for inductively receiving an electromagnetic wireless charging signal. The multi-mode switching circuitry comprises one or more switching devices for switching the electronic circuit between its different modes, wherein at least one of the switching devices is configurable as a rectifying device.

Abstract: Multi-stage amplifiers, such as linear regulators, provide a constant output voltage subject to load transients. The multi-stage amplifier includes a first amplification stage which activates or deactivates a first output stage in response to an input voltage at an input node. The first output stage sources a current at an output node of the multi-stage amplifier from a high potential, when activated. Furthermore, the multi-stage amplifier has a second amplification stage to activate or to deactivate a second output stage in response to the input voltage at the input node. The second output stage sinks a current at the output node of the multi-stage amplifier to a low potential, when activated. The first amplification stage and the second amplification stage activate the first output stage and the second output stage in a mutually exclusive manner.

Abstract: Systems and methods of performing intra-frame refresh in multimedia communications over lossy packet networks, in which a video receiver can provide packet loss feedback information to a video transmitter, and the video transmitter can respond to the feedback information, in a manner that makes efficient use of available bandwidth. By providing one or more PLI messages from the video receiver to the video transmitter based on criteria related to the detection of an eventual missing video packet and/or the determination that the quality of a current reference frame is bad, and by pausing the providing of GNACK messages from the video receiver to the video transmitter while the PLI messages are being provided to the video transmitter, the total number of video packets required for transmission/retransmission can be reduced, thereby limiting the impact of the transmitted/retransmitted video packets on the available bandwidth while enhancing the video QoE of system users.

Abstract: A multiple phase, multiple stage SMPC system includes at least one single stage phase SMPC circuit that converts an input voltage to an output voltage applied to an electronic load circuit and at least one multiple stage phase SMPC circuit. The at least one multiple stage phase SMPC circuit has at least one primary stage phase SMPC circuit generates, monitors, and controls an intermediate voltage and at least one secondary stage phase SMPC circuit converts the intermediate voltage to the output voltage. The at least one secondary stage phase has a voltage conditioner that transforms the intermediate voltage to a reference voltage that is approximately the level of the output voltage. The at least one primary stage phase SMPC circuit monitors and controls the intermediate voltage to force the at least one secondary stage phase to make its output current a correct portion of the total load current.

Abstract: A method of controlling a power converter for converting a DC input voltage to a DC output voltage is presented The power converter comprises an inductor, one or more switching elements for energizing and de-energizing the inductor, a drive circuit for controlling switching operation of the one or more switching elements in accordance with a control signal, and a feedback circuit for generating the control signal on the basis of a first feedback quantity indicative of an actual output voltage of the power converter and in accordance with one or more circuit parameters of the feedback circuit, the method comprising: detecting an open loop condition of feedback control by the feedback circuit; and modifying at least one of the circuit parameters of the feedback circuit in such a manner that a time until the feedback control by the feedback circuit returns to the closed loop condition is reduced.

Abstract: A switching power converter provides regulated voltage to a load. The switching power converter comprises a transformer including a primary winding coupled to an input voltage and a secondary winding coupled to an output of the switching power converter. The switching power converter further comprises a power switch coupled to the primary winding and a rectifier coupled to the secondary winding. Current is generated in the primary winding responsive to the power switch being turned on and not generated responsive to the power switch being turned off. A detection circuit measures a voltage across the rectifier. If the detection circuit detects a decrease in the voltage across the rectifier outside of a blanking period, the detection circuit generates a current pulse in the secondary winding of the transformer.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide a facility for a dynamic media overlay. An end user provides data for the dynamic media overlay that is activated upon selection to permit end users to share information while receiving or sending video data. The overlay may be a hyperlink that can be selected to take an action indicated by information provided in the hyperlink. The hyperlink may be represented by audio or image information in the form of instructions or clickable “targets.” A content of information represented by the hyperlink can be dynamic so that selection of the hyperlink can result in different actions, depending upon the informational content. One or more flags may be provided to indicate that a new hyperlink or new informational content for a hyperlink is requested. The hyperlink may be provided in an overlay represented as a media layer, or may be embedded in the video media itself.

Abstract: A digital load side transmission lighting control apparatus has at one least control gear for controlling at least one lighting source. The control gear includes a period timer to establish an inter-transition time period between each transition within each data packet frame. An inter-transition comparator is in communication with the period timer and configured to compare each of the inter-transition periods with valid inter-transition periods between each transition of the bi-phase encoded data for determining if the inter-transition periods represent valid patterns or are an error has occurred. A data extractor is configured to receive valid bi-phase encoded data from the inter-transition comparator for extracting transmitted data from within the data packet frames. A command formatter is configured to receive the extracted frame data from the data extractor for assembling the telegram bit data pattern for transfer for the subsequent processing.

Abstract: The present document relates to driver circuits and/or power converters, e.g. for Solid State Lighting (SSL) devices, such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). A controller for a driver circuit which is configured to provide a drive voltage to a load subject to an input voltage is described. The driver circuit comprises a power converter network and a power transistor. The controller comprises a control transistor which is configured to couple or to decouple a low voltage terminal of the power transistor to or from a low voltage potential, to put the power transistor to a conduction-state or an off-state, respectively. Furthermore, the controller comprises a charging transistor, arranged in parallel to the control transistor, and configured to couple or to decouple the low voltage terminal of the power transistor to a supply voltage capacitor, to put the power transistor to the conduction-state or off-state, respectively.

Abstract: Method and circuits enable measuring output current in DC/DC converters operating in pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode and in pulse width modulation (PWM) mode. The method is applicable to DC/DC converters using an inductor at the output. Current is sampled on one pass transistor only. The DC/DC converter disclosed turns a PMOS transistor off when the output current reaches its current limit.

Abstract: A line frequency detector receives an input signal representing a power source and detects a line frequency of the power source based on the input signal. The line frequency detector includes a first band pass filter having a pass band centered at an upper end of an expected frequency range of the power source and a second band pass filter having a pass band centered at a lower end of the expected frequency range. The input signal is filtered by the first and second band pass filters, generating a first characteristic signal and a second characteristic signal. The line frequency detector determines a characteristic ratio between the first characteristic signal and the second characteristic signal, and maps the characteristic ratio to the line frequency of the power source.

Abstract: Systems and methods of handling packet errors associated with multimedia data received at data receivers from data senders, in which packet error feedback information is provided by the data receivers to the data senders in one or more real-time transport control protocol (RTCP) feedback packets. The data receivers can calculate, determine, or otherwise obtain costs associated with providing specific forms of packet error feedback information in the RTCP feedback packets, and further calculate, determine, or otherwise obtain wait times for handling out-of-order packets, as well as receiving retransmissions of lost packets. By handling packet errors associated with multimedia data while taking into account such costs and wait times, each of which can have an impact on system bandwidth and/or latency, the systems and methods can more reliably achieve the quality of experience (QoE) generally desired and/or required for multimedia data transmissions.

Abstract: Intelligent control of a solid state lamp when coupled to a trailing edge phase cut dimmer switch is provided. On and off cycles of the lamp's power stage switch are enabled during a period when the energy in the bulk capacitor is at its highest levels. During this period a bleeder circuit does not have to be enabled, which results in a greater operational efficiency as compared with normal switching schemes for trailing edge dimmers.

Abstract: An SSL assembly is described, which comprises an alternating current, referred to as AC, solid state lighting, referred to as SSL, unit. The AC SSL unit comprises at least two SSL devices which are arranged in an anti-parallel manner with respect to one another. Furthermore, the SSL assembly comprises a driver circuit which comprises a resonant circuit that is configured to adapt an input AC drive voltage at an input of the resonant circuit into an output AC drive voltage; wherein the output AC drive voltage is applied to the AC SSL unit.

Abstract: A preferred implementation of a switching converter with a versatile current sensor is achieved, by adding an integrator for instant sense current in the switching converter. The integrator calculates the average current of the switching converter and includes both positive and negative current sensing. The current sensor's response time is determined by the integrator coefficient and therefore not limited by the bandwidth of the current sensor. Performance degradation in the current sensor due to offset current is removed and the current sensor does not require a voltage reference or a current reference. High accuracy current monitoring and current sensing is achieved without an external sense device. The integrator of the current sensor serves to boost the gain of the switching converter.

Abstract: A multi-phase switched-mode converter has a control circuit configured to receive a shed threshold signal indicating that the total output current has fallen below a total current threshold level. The control circuit further includes slave phase shedding switches that have a common switching pole connected to a current share amplifier of each slave power stage, a first select pole is connected to a phase target current level, and a second select pole is connected to a phase zero target current level. A control terminal is connects the phase zero target current signal to each slave power stage to decreases their output currents to approximately a zero level. When the output current approaches the zero level, the slave power stages are deactivated. A panic circuit activates the slave power stages when the load current increases precipitously.

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: Systems and methods of video conferencing, in which existing video encoders associated with a multipoint control unit (MCU) can be shared among conference participant devices, depending upon the availability of processor and/or memory resources for the MCU. In making decisions regarding the sharing of video encoders, the systems and methods take into account various parameters associated with potential conference participant devices and the total cost of the processor/memory resources for the MCU, to determine whether a video encoder of the MCU can be shared with, or allocated to, the respective conference participant devices. By determining whether to share or allocate a video encoder of the MCU, depending upon the available processor/memory resources for the MCU, the MCU can be made to operate with increased stability. The systems and methods can be applied to any application that sends the same content to multiple receivers, including announcement and video streaming applications.

Abstract: A first transconductance cell having a differential input voltage ?V1 and a forced output current ?I1, has a bias set by a feedback loop. A second transconductance cell having a differential input voltage ?V2 and using the same biasing as the first cell has analytically identical transconductance. The second transconductance cell produces an output current ?I2 dependent on the product of the output current ?I1 of the first transconductance cell and the quotient of the second differential input voltage ?V2, and the first differential input voltage ?V1. The adaptive transconductance cells can be used to generate mathematic functions such as multiplication and division.

Abstract: Systems and methods of dynamically adapting multimedia data transmit rates of data senders to available bandwidths of data receivers, in which the available bandwidths are estimated by the data senders using at least reception quality feedback information provided in real-time transport control protocol (RTCP) report packets. The data senders can obtain several bandwidth estimation parameters, such as a packet loss ratio and a round trip delay, from the reception quality feedback information, as well as multimedia data transmit rates from the data senders to the data receivers, and obtain estimates of the available bandwidths of the data receivers using at least the bandwidth estimation parameters and multimedia data transmit rates. Further, using the estimated available bandwidth, the data senders can dynamically adapt the multimedia data transmit rates to the available bandwidths for more reliably achieving the quality of experience (QoE) desired and/or required for multimedia data transmissions.