Abstract: There is disclosed a controller configured to control a synchronous rectification MOSFET having a drain, a source and a gate; the controller comprising a regulator configured to regulate a voltage between the drain and the source to a first regulation voltage, and a gate charger operable during a turn-on phase of the synchronous rectification MOSFET operation and configured to regulate a voltage between the drain and the source to a second regulation voltage having a larger absolute value than the absolute value of the first regulation voltage, wherein the gate charger is further configured to, when in operation, disable the regulator. Also disclosed is a switched mode power converter comprising such a synchronous rectification MOSFET, and a method for controlling such a synchronous rectification MOSFET.

Abstract: Proposed is a sigma-delta modulator circuit. The circuit comprises a loopfilter having at least one integrator or resonator section; and a feed-forward path adapted to provide a feed-forward signal to the output of the at least one integrator or resonator section via a filter.

Abstract: One example discloses an electromagnetic device, including: a first circuit, configured to generate a first electromagnetic field; a second circuit responsive to the first electromagnetic field; a damping circuit configured to generate a second electromagnetic field in response to a current induced by the first electromagnetic field; and wherein the second electromagnetic field reduces the second circuit's responsiveness to the first electromagnetic field.

Abstract: Disclosed are: a mobile device, in particular a mobile Passive Keyless Entry, PKE, key device, and an associated method for providing 3D field values of a magnetic field H; an evaluation device for use in a PKE system having a Mobile device and an associated method for determining the direction of a magnetic field vector H=(x, y, z), which is present locally at a position of a 3D antenna of the mobile device; and a PKE system having a PKE base structure, to which preferably the mobile device is associated and which has at least a first base structure antenna, which is operable to emit the, particularly low frequency, magnetic field, the mobile PKE device and the evaluation unit.

Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided which comprises: a substrate; an integrated circuit; a layer of glue between the substrate and the integrated circuit; a set of driving electrodes coupled to the glue and to the integrated circuit; a receiving electrode coupled to the glue and to the integrated circuit; a counter electrode coupled to the glue and to the substrate; wherein the glue comprises conductive particles which electrically connect the receiving electrode, the counter electrode and at least a part of the set of driving electrodes, such that, if drive currents are provided to said set of driving electrodes, at least a part of the drive currents flows to the receiving electrode through the conductive particles and the counter electrode. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding method of manufacturing an electronic device is conceived.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a hand-portable electronic device including a detection-and-ranging element configured to provide spatial information of one or more physical objects in a space around the hand-held portable electronic device for collision avoidance, the detection-and-ranging element configured to transmit one or more electromagnetic, wireless detection signals and configured to detect one or more reflections of said one or more electromagnetic, wireless detection signals from the one or more objects.

Abstract: The present application relates to a system hosting a monotonic counter and a method of operating the system. The system comprises a non-volatile memory (110) for holding a save counter value and a volatile memory (120) for maintaining a current counter value. The system (100) is configured during a startup phase to retrieve the saved counter value of the monotonic counter from the non-volatile memory (110); to detect whether a previous shutdown of the system (100) was an uncontrolled shutdown; and to adjust the retrieved counter value in accordance with a step size (130) provided at the system (100) in case an previous uncontrolled shutdown is detected.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods and systems for automatic power control (APC) in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling are described. In an embodiment, a method for APC in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling involves obtaining multiple system parameters, determining an APC configuration of the communications device from the system parameters, and controlling a transmission configuration of the communications device based on the APC configuration. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A secondary side controller for a power converter configured to provide a control signal to an emitter element of an opto-coupler for control of a primary side controller of the power converter, the secondary side controller configured to operate with the primary side controller for controlling the voltage output of the power converter, the secondary side controller configured to, based on; a first control value configured to instruct the power converter to output its present voltage output; and a second control value configured to instruct the power converter to provide a requested target voltage output; provide said control signal in accordance with a transition profile over a predetermined transition time period to effect a change between the first control value and the second control value, the transition profile comprising at least a first rate of change in the control signal followed by an end time period leading to the end of the transition time period during which the rate of change in the control

Abstract: A method for implementing a non-volatile counter using non-volatile memory is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method involves distributing operations for storing a low word of a counter in non-volatile memory across memory cells in a memory array in the non-volatile memory, and storing additional bits of the counter in the non-volatile memory in memory cells outside of the memory array, wherein the location in the memory array at which the low word is stored is determined for each count based on the upper bits of the counter.

Abstract: One example discloses a component carrier, including: a cavity; wherein the cavity includes a set of cavity registration features configured to engage with a set of component registration features on a component; and wherein the cavity registration features are within the cavity.

Abstract: A wireless charging transmitter has a phase-shift controlled inverter, a capacitor, a transmitter coil, and a control circuit. The phase-shift controlled inverter has an input for receiving a phase-shift signal, and first and second output terminals for providing an inverter output voltage. The capacitor has a first terminal coupled to the first output terminal of the phase-shift controlled inverter, and a second terminal. The transmitter coil having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the capacitor, and a second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the phase-shift controlled inverter. The control circuit has an input coupled to the second terminal of the capacitor for sampling a capacitor voltage of the capacitor, and an output for providing the phase-shift signal corrected for the phase error. The control circuit determines the phase error of the capacitor voltage relative to a phase of an inverter output voltage to ensure the wireless charging transmitter operates in resonance.

Abstract: Embodiments of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader are provided herein, which include an RFID interrogator; a detection surface for a game piece, the detection surface comprising a plurality of reader antennas in a geometric arrangement; and antenna switching circuitry coupled between the RFID interrogator and the plurality of reader antennas; wherein the antenna switching circuitry is configured to consecutively activate each one of the plurality of reader antennas for at least a detection time window, and wherein the RFID interrogator is configured to: for each reader antenna, detect whether a response signal is received by the reader antenna during the detection time window, and determine a geometric orientation of the game piece based on a subset of reader antennas that received the response signal.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI) antenna, including: an electric antenna including a first electrically conductive surface; a magnetic antenna including a first coil (L1) coupled to a second coil (L2); a first feeding connection coupled to one end of the first coil; a second feeding connection coupled to another end of the first coil and one end of the second coil; wherein a another end of the second coil is connected to the electrically conductive surface; and a magnetic permeable material coupled to one side of the magnetic antenna and configured to be placed between the magnetic antenna and a set of electric components.

Abstract: A host device includes a first serial peripheral interface (SPI) and a second SPI to communicate with an embedded multimedia card (eMMC) device. The host device has a mode controller that controls the first SPI to toggle between first transmission and first reception modes for command transmission and response reception, respectively. The mode controller controls the second SPI to toggle between second transmission and second reception modes for data transmission and data reception, respectively.

Abstract: A resistive sensor includes a current input sigma-delta converter that uses a switched offset voltage source to provide scalable gain and more linear operation. The sigma-delta converter includes an integrator, a quantizer, and a decimator. In one embodiment, the resistive sensor and offset voltage source are coupled to provide an input current at a first node. The integrator has a first input terminal coupled to the first node, and an output terminal. The quantizer has a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the integrator, a second input terminal for receiving a clock signal, and an output terminal coupled to provide a feedback signal to control the offset voltage source. The decimator has an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the quantizer, and an output terminal for providing an output signal. The switched offset voltage source provides scalable gain and good linearity.

Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a game board being arranged to accommodate at least one game piece, said game board comprising at least one NFC device and a plurality of NFC antennas which are operatively coupled to said NFC device, wherein said NFC device is arranged to activate a function of said game piece by establishing NFC with the game piece through one of said antennas. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure a corresponding method for activating at least one game piece on a game board is provided. According to a third aspect of the present disclosure there a corresponding computer program product is provided.

Abstract: A power converter including a power conditioning circuit to receive input power and set operating voltages of the power converter, a current sensing circuit to determine an input current of the power converter, a voltage regulation circuit to step down a voltage level of the input power, a charge pump circuit to store charge delivered by the voltage regulation circuit and output to a load a current larger than the input current, and a power path controller to control switching and provide feedback within the power converter.

Abstract: As may be implemented in a manner consistent with one or more embodiment, aspects of the disclosure are directed to latency control with signals, such as audio signals. For instance, a quality characteristic of an audio signal having time-sequenced frames exhibiting a signal quality can assessed, and an output indicative of the signal quality is provided based on the assessment. An amount of latency in the audio signal is dynamically adjusted based on the output, and the latency can be used in processing the time-sequenced frames, such as to use future frames in assessing or correcting a current frame during a time period facilitated via the latency.

Abstract: The embodiments described herein provide communication devices and methods that can facilitate communication between galvanically isolated systems. Specifically, the embodiments facilitate communication to a galvanically isolated system that is shut down without requiring that this shutdown system consume its own power while it is shutdown. To facilitate this, the communication devices and methods provide a wake-up device on the side of the shutdown system and facilitate the transfer of power across the galvanic isolation to the wake-up device when communication to the shutdown system is needed. With the wake-up device powered using power that was transferred across the galvanic isolation, the wake-up device can perform the actions needed to wake up the shutdown system, and can thus facilitate communication between the galvanically isolated systems. Thus, communication between galvanically isolated systems is facilitated without requiring that the shutdown system consume its own power during shutdown periods.