Abstract: A thermal sensor device (100) comprises an integrated circuit die (104) having a first mating side (126) and an external side (128) opposite the mating side (126). A sensor-containing die (102) is disposed in spaced relation with the integrated circuit die (104) so that the first mating side (126) faces a second mating side (114), a portion (144) of the sensor-containing die (102) overhanging the integrated circuit die (104). An electrically conductive circuit path (132, 146, 120, 122) extends from a first opposing surface (134) of the first mating side (126) to a second opposing surface of the second mating side (114) and extends further to the overhanging portion (144) so that a portion of the electrically conductive circuit path (132, 146, 120, 122) also overhangs the integrated circuit die (104).

Abstract: A method of operating a plurality of driving units for powering electronic units is described. The method includes interchanging a data frame including a bit sequence, between a master control unit and at least one of a plurality of driving units at slave nodes. The method includes applying an ID field for addressing at least one driving unit, and applying a data field comprising information and/or instructions regarding the status of the electronic units. Applying the ID field comprises indicating the driving unit address using a first bit sub-string comprising N bits, allowing the master control unit to identify whether data should be received or transmitted, performing a data length decoding step, and adding a further bit string to the data field including information for carrying out an action by the driving unit.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thermal sensor (106) comprises providing a first part (102) of a body of the sensor (106), the first part (102) of the body being configured to define a first part (114) of a chamber (310). A second part (104) of the body of the sensor (106) is also provided, the second part (104) of the body being configured to define a second part (118) of the chamber (310). A getter material (112) is disposed in the first part (114) of the body of the sensor (106), and the first part (102) and the second part (104) of the body of the sensor (106) are brought together so that the first and second parts (102, 104) of the chamber (310) define the chamber (310). The chamber (310) is backfilled with a gas to a pressure greater than 10 mbar, and the first part (102) of the body is bonded to the second part (104) of the body so as to seal hermetically the chamber (310).

Abstract: A sealed sensor device (104) comprising: an internal atmosphere comprising a gas pressurised to a predetermined pressure, the predetermined pressure being below atmospheric pressure when the internal atmosphere is hermetically sealed from ambient. A sensor cavity (214) is also provided having a periphery and is in fluid communication with the internal atmosphere, thereby comprising the gas and the gas having a mean free path at the predetermined pressure associated therewith. A thermopile (256) is disposed in the sensor cavity (214) for detecting a change in pressure of the internal atmosphere and detecting failure of the hermetic seal. A membrane structure (234) disposed within the cavity comprises the thermopile (256). The membrane structure (234) also comprises a heating element, and a shortest distance from substantially any point on the membrane structure (234) to the periphery of the sensor cavity (214) is less than the mean free path of the gas at the predetermined pressure.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sensor device (100) comprises forming (200) a substrate (102) comprising a sensor element followed by forming (202) a cap layer (104). The cap layer (104) is then bonded (204) to the substrate (102) before the substrate (102) is thinned (206). A via is formed (210) between the sensor element and a back side of the thinned substrate (102). An electrical connection is provided between the sensor element and the back side of the thinned substrate (102). A mask is formed (208) on the cap layer (104) to define an area about a predetermined window region (108) before forming (210) of the via. A portion of the cap layer (104) about the predetermined window region (108) of the cap layer (104) is removed (212) after formation (210) of the via.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) comprises a light source that emits light modulated selectively at first and second modulation frequencies. A photonic mixer cell (102) generates and stores a plurality of electrical output signals respectively corresponding to phase offset values applied in accordance with an indirect time of flight technique and in respect of the selected modulation frequency. A signal processing circuit processes a first number of the electrical output signals at the first modulation frequency to calculate a first measurement phase angle (?1) from a calculated first measurement vector, and a second number of the electrical output signals at the second modulation frequency to calculate a second measurement phase angle (?2) from a second calculated measurement vector.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sensor device comprising: configuring a moulding support structure and a packaging mould so as to provide predetermined pathways to accommodate a moulding compound, the moulding support structure defining a first notional volume adjacent a second notional volume. An elongate sensor element and the moulding support structure are configured so that the moulding support structure fixedly carries the elongate sensor element and the elongate sensor element resides substantially in the first notional volume and extends towards the second notional volume, the elongate sensor element having an electrical contact electrically coupled to another electrical contact disposed within the second notional volume. The moulding support structure carrying (102) the elongate sensor element is disposed within the packaging mould (106).

Abstract: A photonic mixer device for multiplying an impinging optical signal with a reference electrical signal includes: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; two detector regions of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type; two biasing regions of the first conductivity type with a higher dopant concentration than the dopant concentration of the semiconductor substrate, each biasing region positioned near one of the respective detector regions, wherein an electrical field can be formed in the semiconductor substrate by applying a voltage bias between the biasing regions; two bias electrodes, which are isolated from the substrate and the biasing regions, wherein each bias electrode is only locally, partially or completely, covering an outer edge of one of the respective biasing regions.

Abstract: A thermal imaging apparatus comprising: a thermal detector device (100) comprising an array of thermal sensing pixels (102) and signal processing circuitry (104) coupled to the detector device (100). The circuitry (104) supports a background identifier (110) and a pixel classifier (112), the background identifier (110) comprising a common intensity identifier (114) and an expected background intensity calculator (116). The background identifier (110) receives pixel measurement data captured by the detector device (100) in respect of pixels of the array (102) and the common intensity identifier (114) identifies a largest number of substantially the same pixel intensity values from the pixel measurement data. The expected background intensity calculator (116) uses the largest number of substantially the same pixel intensity values to generate a model of expected background intensity levels.

Abstract: An indirect time of flight range calculation apparatus comprises a light source, a photonic mixer that generates a plurality of output signals corresponding to a first plurality of phase values. A signal processor is also provided to calculate a first vector and a first angle from the first vector. The photonic mixer generates a second plurality of electrical output signals corresponding to a second plurality of phase values. Each phase value of the second plurality of phase values is respectively offset with respect to each phase value of the first plurality of phase values by a predetermined phase offset value. The signal processor processes the second plurality of electrical output signals in order to calculate a second vector, and de-rotates the second vector calculated and calculates a second angle from the de-rotated vector before offsetting the second angle against the first angle, thereby generating a corrected output angle.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor device comprises a substrate. A first magnetic sensor, a second magnetic sensor, and one or more inductors are disposed over the substrate and are controlled by a magnetic sensor controller having a control circuit. The control circuit is adapted for controlling the first magnetic sensor to measure magnetic fields under presence of a first set of magnetic fields, and for controlling the second magnetic sensor to measure magnetic fields under presence of a second set of magnetic fields generated by the inductors. The control circuit calculates a relative sensitivity matching value that converts magnetic field values measured by the second magnetic sensor to a comparable magnetic field value measured by the first magnetic sensor or vice versa.

Abstract: A gas sensor device (100) is configured to measure a predetermined gas of interest and comprises an enclosure (101) comprising a semiconductor substrate (102) and defining a first cavity (124), an optically transmissive second closed cavity (126) and a third cavity (128). The second cavity (126) is interposed between the first and third cavities (124, 128). The first cavity (124) comprises an inlet port (130) for receiving a gas under test, an outlet port (132) for venting the gas under test. The first cavity (124) also comprises an optical source (112) and a measurement sensor (114). The second cavity (126) is configured as a gaseous filter comprising a volume of the gas of interest sealingly disposed in the second cavity (126), and the third cavity (128) comprises a reference measurement sensor (116) disposed therein.

Abstract: A method for multipath error compensation comprises an unstructured light source (142) illuminating a scene during a plurality of consecutive time frames. A structured light source (144) illuminates the scene concurrently, the illumination by the structured source (144) occurring during predetermined frames of the plurality of consecutive time frames. An array of photodetectors (102) each generate a set of signals in response to irradiation with light reflected from the scene according to an indirect time of flight calculation technique to yield a plurality of sets of signals. An error estimate is derived (130) from the plurality of sets of signals generated during a selected time frame of the plurality of consecutive time frames when structured illumination takes place and another time frame temporally about the selected time frame when both structured and unstructured illumination takes place. The error estimate is applied in a range calculation with respect to the scene.

Abstract: In a heating appliance comprising a substrate for receiving an item of cookware, a method of measuring reflectivity comprises emitting a time-varying electromagnetic signal from a first side of the substrate, a portion of the time-varying electromagnetic signal propagating through the substrate. Electromagnetic radiation is then received at the first side of the substrate, the received electromagnetic radiation comprising a background ambient component received and a component reflected by the substrate. A gain factor is applied to translate the received electromagnetic radiation to a receive electrical signal. An offset signal component is then identified from the receive electrical signal, the offset signal component arising from the background ambient component of the received electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: A method of digitally processing an image comprises: generating an intensity distribution model (170) in respect of at least a portion of the array of sensing pixels (102) of a detector device (100). The array of sensing pixels comprises clusters of pixels. A pixel (140) from the array of sensing pixels is then selected (202) and a first distance and a second distance from the selected pixel to a first neighbouring pixel (142) and a second neighbouring pixel (144), respectively, are determined (402) and the intensity distribution model (170) referenced (406) by the first distance is used to calculate a first weight and a second weight to apply to the first and second neighbouring pixels, respectively. The first distance comprises an intra-cluster distance and the second distance comprises an inter-cluster distance, the intra-cluster distance being different from the inter-cluster distance.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sensor device comprising: configuring a moulding support structure and a packaging mould so as to provide predetermined pathways to accommodate a moulding compound, the moulding support structure defining a first notional volume adjacent a second notional volume. An elongate sensor element and the moulding support structure are configured so that the moulding support structure fixedly carries the elongate sensor element and the elongate sensor element resides substantially in the first notional volume and extends towards the second notional volume, the elongate sensor element having an electrical contact electrically coupled to another electrical contact disposed within the second notional volume. The moulding support structure carrying (102) the elongate sensor element is disposed within the packaging mould (106).

Abstract: A controller configured for detecting a disturbance using a comparison of outputs of at least two sensors and for determining a pressure from the outputs of the at least two sensors. A ratio of the measurement sensitivity and the disturbance sensitivity should be different for the at least two sensors. A method for monitoring disturbances of a sensor assembly includes comparing the outputs of the at least two sensors. The controller and related method provide, while requiring only two sensors, a redundant system that is also able to detect excessive disturbances on a sensor assembly.

Abstract: A method of generating a de-interlacing filter comprises: analysing a pixel array comprising an interlacing pattern of pixels. The interlacing pattern of pixels comprises first and second pluralities of pixels configured to be read during a first measurement subframe and a second measurement subframe, respectively. An n-state representation of the interlacing pattern of pixels is generated and distinguishes between the first plurality of pixels and the second plurality of pixels. The n-state representation of the interlacing pattern is translated to a spatial frequency domain, thereby generating a spatial frequency domain representation of the n-state representation of the interlacing pattern. A DC signal component is then removed from the spatial frequency domain representation of the n-state representation of the interlacing pattern, thereby generating a DC-less spatial frequency domain representation.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sensor device comprising: configuring a moulding support structure and a packaging mould so as to provide predetermined pathways to accommodate a moulding compound, the moulding support structure defining a first notional volume adjacent a second notional volume. An elongate sensor element and the moulding support structure are configured so that the moulding support structure fixedly carries the elongate sensor element and the elongate sensor element resides substantially in the first notional volume and extends towards the second notional volume, the elongate sensor element having an electrical contact electrically coupled to another electrical contact disposed within the second notional volume. The moulding support structure carrying (102) the elongate sensor element is disposed within the packaging mould (106).

Abstract: An evaluation and control unit (100) for a broadband lambda probe (200) and a method for operating the same are disclosed.