Abstract: An electronic tag is configured to be responsive to a TTO or TTF protocol energizing signal from a reader, but to suspend transmission when receiving an RTF protocol communication signal from a reader. The tag typically includes a protocol detector 120 which is operable to detect receipt of an RTF protocol communication signal and to suspend transmission when the electronic tag receives an RTF protocol communication signal from a reader.

Abstract: The electronic device, in particular a transponder, includes a non volatile memory (EEPROM) having a plurality of words 1 to N whose read and/or write access can be locked. The protection register (22) is formed of two protection words A and B these two protection words are alternately active and inactive during the successive locking of words 1 to N of the programmable memory (16). The state of the protection register is defined by the active word. An initially active word is not deleted until the content thereof has been copied into the inactive word. Once the content has been altered in accordance with the lock command, the initially inactive word becomes the active word of the protection register.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing parts of a first material able to be etched from a substrate including at least one superficial layer of the first material, includes (a) forming a substantially uniform superficial layer of a second material at the surface of the superficial layer of the first material, wherein the second material resists a selective etch of the first material, (b) forming a bead of second material at the periphery of the superficial layer of second material, (c) structuring the layer of second material and the bead by a photolithographic process including an etch step of sufficient duration to etch the superficial layer of second material over the entire thickness thereof, but insufficient to etch the bead over the entire thickness thereof, so as to obtain a mask, and (d) cutting out parts made of the first material through the mask of the second material, by directional etching.

Abstract: The electronic circuit (1) controls the operation of the peripheral members of a watch. The circuit (1) includes a processor (2) connected to a non-volatile memory (3), which contains instructions to be carried out, peripheral member controllers (4) for interacting with peripheral members of the watch and connecting means (6a, 6b, 7). These connecting means (6a, 6b, 7) are arranged to enable the peripheral member controllers (4), the non-volatile memory and the processor (2) to communicate data relating to the operation of said watch to each other. This electronic circuit (1) further includes initializing means (8) able to act on the peripheral member controllers (4) to initialize said controllers so that they can execute operations independently of the processor (2) and/or the non-volatile memory (3).

Abstract: The DC-DC converter (21) is for integration in a low power transceiver (100). The converter is able to supply an output voltage that is higher than the input voltage. The converter includes two distinct variable voltage regulator circuits (3 and 4). The first variable voltage regulator circuit (3) is arranged to operate at a first frequency and a second variable voltage regulator circuit (4) is arranged to operate at a second frequency, which is lower than the first frequency. The converter further includes switching means connected to each variable voltage regulator circuit for selecting one of the two regulator circuits to switch on.

Abstract: Capacitive touch screen including first and second substrates (2, 4) that extend parallel to and at a distance from each other, said first and second substrates (2, 4) being made of a transparent, dielectric material, a first series of electrodes (6), made of a transparent, electrically conductive material, being arranged on at least the surface (2a) of the first substrate (2) that faces the second substrate (4), said touch screen being characterized in that it includes means for keeping the space between the two substrates (2, 4) constant.

Abstract: The low-power relaxation oscillator comprises a first module (21) having a ramp generator formed by a reference current source (31) and a storage capacitor (32) defining a ramp voltage (Vramp1), and a voltage comparator (m1, m2) for comparing the ramp voltage with a reference voltage, a second module (22, 41, 42, Vramp2, m3, m4) similar to the first module and an asynchronous flip-flop (23) receiving the output signal of the comparator of the first module at a first input (s) and the output signal of the comparator of the second module at a second input (r). For each module a generator of said reference voltage is configured by adding a reference resistance (33, 43) between the reference current source and the storage capacitor. Thus, the generation of the reference voltage and the ramp voltage is conducted on the very same current branch. This enables the electrical power consumption of the oscillator to be reduced.

Abstract: The electronic circuit for measuring at least one physical parameter supplies an analogue output measurement signal (SA) dependent upon the value of a supply voltage. The circuit includes a sensor interface, connected to a sensor for supplying an analogue measurement signal (Vm) which is then filtered, an analogue-digital converter for digitally converting the filtered signal (Sm), and a digital signal control and processing unit for receiving a converted signal from the converter and supplying a digital measurement signal (SD). The sensor interface, the analogue-digital converter, and the processing unit are powered by a voltage regulator. The analogue and digital measurement signals are thus independent of any variation in the supply voltage (VCC) of the electronic circuit. A ratiometric unit, which may be an analogue multiplier or an analogue-digital converter, is powered by the supply voltage source (Bat) to recreate ratiometry on SA on the basis of Sm or SD.

Abstract: A method for detecting lift from a surface portion of an optical pointing device comprising a coherent light source, a photodetector device including an array of pixels, and extracting motion features including comparators with an adjustable offset value, the method comprising the steps of: (i) illuminating the surface portion with radiation by the coherent light source; (ii) detecting radiation patterns reflected from the illuminated surface portion with the photodetector device; (iii) comparing light intensity between neighbouring pixels in the detected radiation patterns; (iv) extracting motion features as a function of the result of the comparison; (v) counting the total number of motion features extracted; (vi) increasing or decreasing the comparator offset value when the total number of motion features increases or decreases; (vii) comparing the comparator offset value with an offset threshold; (viii) enabling detection of a lift condition if the comparator offset value is lower than the offset threshol

Abstract: The invention concerns a conditioning circuit (10) for an external signal (IN) representative of a physiological quantity, arranged between an optical sensor (11) and a processing unit (12), the received external signal (IN) being broken down into a useful component and an ambient component, characterized in that the conditioning circuit includes a first stage (13) including a transimpedance amplifier with an incorporated high pass filter (15) using a feedback loop to subtract the ambient signal component from the received external signal, and to deliver at output an amplified useful signal (IN1), a second stage (16) including a blocker sampler circuit (17) for demodulating the amplified useful signal and delivering at output a demodulated useful signal (IN2), and a third stage (18) including a bandpass filter (19) for filtering the demodulated useful signal in the frequency band of the physiological quantity to be detected and for transmitting a conditioned signal (OUT) to the processing unit.

Abstract: The processor circuit (1) has a Harvard architecture. This processor circuit includes a calculation unit (2), a first memory element (3a) for data storage and a second memory element (4a) for instruction storage. Said first and second memory elements (3a, 4a) are connected by at least one communication bus (5, 6) to the calculation unit. The processor circuit includes management means (8), placed between the first and second memory elements and the calculation unit and capable of saving several data items or instructions to save time during successive data reading.

Abstract: The measuring method is for measuring a physical parameter by means of an electronic interface circuit (1) for a capacitive sensor (2) with at least two capacitors (C1X, C2X) whose common electrode (CM) is mobile between the fixed electrodes. The electronic circuit includes an amplifier (4) connected to the common electrode (CM) by a switching unit (3), a logic unit (5) connected to the amplifier for supplying first and second digital measuring signals, and a digital-analogue converter (7) for supplying a measurement voltage (VDAC) to the electrodes on the basis of a conversion of one of the digital signals.

Abstract: A method for measuring relative motion between an illuminated surface and an optical sensing device comprising a coherent light source and a photodetector array is described.

Abstract: The optoelectronic circuit includes a photoreceptor (1) made in a silicon semiconductor substrate (4), and a monomode VCSEL laser diode (2) made in a gallium arsenide substrate. The photoreceptor includes at least one photosensitive area with a pixel array for picking up light and an area with a control and processing unit for the signals supplied by the pixels. The laser diode is mounted and electrically connected directly on one part of the photoreceptor. The laser diode is connected by a conductive terminal (12) to a first contact pad (3) at the bottom of a cavity (13) made through a passivation layer (5) of the photoreceptor. An electrode (17) on the top of the diode is connected by a metal wire (15) to a second contact pad (3) of the photoreceptor. The photoreceptor controls the diode directly via the electrode and the conductive terminal to generate a laser beam (L).

Abstract: An integrated radiofrequency circuit (1) is provided that includes an antenna (2) for receiving radiofrequency signals, a rechargeable battery (3) and a battery charger (5) using the radiofrequency signals to charge said battery. The circuit is characterized in that the battery charger is integrated in the same substrate as the integrated radiofrequency circuit and in that the battery charger includes a calibrating mechanism, a current source calibrated by the calibrating mechanism and delivering a charge current of constant maximum intensity drawn from the received radiofrequency signals, and a comparator between a reference quantity representative of the end of battery charge level and a variable quantity representative of the battery charge level supplying at output a control signal (batchend) for charging or not charging the battery.

Abstract: The self-powered detection device comprises a Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) unit (52) formed by at least a NVM cell and a sensor which is activated by a physical or chemical action or phenomenon, the NVM unit being arranged for storing in said NVM cell, by using the electrical power of said electrical stimulus pulse, a bit of information relative to the detection by said sensor, during a detection mode of the self-powered detection device, of at least one physical or chemical action or phenomenon applied to it with at least a given strength or intensity and resulting in a voltage stimulus signal provided between a set control terminal (SET) and a base terminal (SET *) of the NVM unit with at least a given set voltage.

Abstract: The self-powered detection device comprises a Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) unit (52) formed at least by a NVM cell and a sensor which is activated by a physical or chemical action or phenomenon, this sensor forming an energy harvester that transforms energy from said physical or chemical action or phenomenon into an electrical stimulus pulse, said NVM unit being arranged for storing in said NVM cell, by using the electrical power of said electrical stimulus pulse, a bit of information relative to the detection by said sensor, during a detection mode of the self-powered detection device, of at least one physical or chemical action or phenomenon applied to it with at least a given strength or intensity and resulting in a voltage stimulus signal provided between a set control terminal (SET) and a base terminal (SET *) of said NVM unit with at least a given set voltage.

Abstract: The self-powered detection device comprises at least a non-volatile memory cell (24) and a sensor (16) which is activated by a physical or chemical action or phenomenon, this sensor forming an energy harvester that transforms energy from said physical or chemical action or phenomenon into an electrical stimulus pulse, the memory cell being arranged for storing, by using the electrical power of said electrical stimulus pulse, at least a bit of information relative to the detection by the sensor of at least a first physical or chemical action or phenomenon applied to it with at least a given strength or intensity. The non-volatile memory cell is formed by a FET transistor (T1) having a control gate, a first diffusion (DRN) defining a first input and a second diffusion (SRC) defining a second input.

Abstract: The invention concerns an electronic watch (8) including: a motor (5), a power circuit (7) supplying first and second voltage levels; a case (11), in which there are mounted: first and second (A, D) output connections; a switch (9) actuated by an external actuator to connect the first connection to the second level (Vdd); a control circuit (4) for the motor including first and second three-state gates (12, 14) respectively connected to the first and second connections (A, D), a member (13) selectively connecting the first connection to the first level, the circuit including a test mode wherein the gates are brought to high impedance, the first connection (D) is connected to the first level (Vss), actuation of the actuator is determined as a function of the voltage measured at the output of the first gate.

Abstract: The external event detection device comprises an electronic unit (22) and an external event sensor (16), the electronic unit having at least a non-volatile memory cell (24, T1) in which data relative to at least one external event detected by the external event sensor can be stored. According to the invention, the external event sensor defines an energy harvester that transforms energy from said at least one external event into electrical energy contained in an electrical stimulus pulse provided to the electronic unit. The electronic unit is arranged for storing said data by using only the electrical energy contained in the electrical stimulus pulse. In particular, the non-volatile memory cell is directly set to its written logical state from its initial logical state by the electrical stimulus pulse provided by said energy harvester.