Abstract: Embodiments of a mixer of a Near field communication (NFC) receiver device and a method for operating a mixer of an NFC receiver device are disclosed. In an embodiment, a mixer of an NFC receiver device includes an input unit from which an input signal is received, a sample and hold circuit configured to sample the input signal and to store electrical charge based on the sampled input signal in order to generate a differential output signal, a control unit configured to switch the sample and hold circuit between different operational modes based on whether the input signal is a single-ended input signal or a differential input signal, and a differential output unit from which the differential output signal is output. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: One example discloses an apparatus for power management, including: a circuit having a first power-domain and a second power-domain; wherein the first and second power-domains include a set of operating parameter values; a circuit controller configured to incrementally sweep at least one of the operating parameter values of the first power-domain; a circuit profiler configured to derive a total power consumption profile of the circuit based on the circuit's response to the swept operating parameter value; wherein the circuit controller sets the operating parameter values for the first and second power-domains based on the total power consumption profile of the circuit.

Abstract: An electromagnetic induction wireless transceiver system including: a magnetic antenna; an electric antenna including first and second plates, the first plate being connectable to a body; and a power driver configured to produce a modulating signal used to drive the magnetic antenna and the electric antenna to produce electromagnetic induction fields, wherein the transceiver when connected to a body in a first location is configured to transmit power to a second electromagnetic induction wireless transceiver connected to a second location a distance from the first location, wherein the first and second locations are connected through magnetic and electric near-field coupling.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method and system are disclosed. One embodiment of a method for signaling an interrupt in an I2C system that includes a master I2C device and at least one slave I2C device that are connected by an SDA line and an SCL line is disclosed. The method involves, at the slave I2C device, pulling the SDA line low to signal an interrupt and at the slave I2C device, releasing the SDA line in response to either the SCL line having been pulled low or the expiration of a predetermined time period, whichever occurs first. In an embodiment, the predetermined time period is 1 ms.

Abstract: A system for producing a mechanical haptic pattern based on linear resonance actuator (LRA) signal is disclosed. The system includes an actuator displacement sensor, the actuator displacement sensor configured to apply an alternating measurement signal at a predetermined frequency to an actuator motor. The actuator displacement sensor configured to use a measure of a voltage across and a current through the actuator motor to determine its impedance at the predetermined frequency and determine an estimated displacement of the actuator motor using said impedance and a predetermined displacement-impedance function. The system also includes a controller configured to accept the LRA signal and the estimated displacement, wherein the controller is configured to alter the input LRA signal according to the estimated displacement to limit excursion of a moving part of the actuator motor.

Abstract: A controller for a lamp, comprising an input terminal for receiving a requested-color-signal representative of a requested-color-value to be provided by the lamp and one or more temperature-values associated with the lamp. The controller includes a full-color-module for providing a full-color-lamp-control-signal for an output terminal; a stabilization-module for providing a stabilized-lamp-control-signal for the output terminal; and a mode controller for comparing the requested-color-value with a threshold value. If the requested-color-value satisfies the threshold value, then the stabilization-module provides the stabilized-lamp-control-signal to the output terminal. If the requested-color-value does not satisfy the threshold value, then the full-color-module provides the full-color-lamp-control-signal to the output terminal.

Abstract: A user input detector for a mobile device is described having an ultrasound demodulator having an input for receiving an ultrasound signal reflected from a user and an output for outputting a demodulated ultrasound signal; a gesture processor comprising: a time-frequency processing module configured to generate a time-varying ultrasound-image spectrum from the demodulated ultrasound signal; an image-feature extraction module configured to extract micro-doppler features from the time-varying ultrasound image spectrum; a feature selection module configured to select and compress the extracted micro-doppler features; and a gesture detection module configured to compare the selected micro-doppler features with a known feature set and to output a detected gesture based on the comparison.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods for forming a device include performing an oxidation inhibiting treatment to exposed ends of first and second device-to-edge conductors, and forming a package surface conductor to electrically couple the exposed ends of the first and second device-to-edge conductors. Performing the oxidation inhibiting treatment may include applying an organic solderability protectant coating to the exposed ends, or plating the exposed ends with a conductive plating material. The method may further include applying a conformal protective coating over the package surface conductor. An embodiment of a device formed using such a method includes a package body, the first and second device-to-edge conductors, the package surface conductor on a surface of the package body and extending between the first and second device-to-edge conductors, and the conformal protective coating over the package surface conductor.

Abstract: One example discloses an apparatus for charge recycling between a first power-domain operating at a first voltage and a second power-domain operating at a second voltage, including: a first power-delivery circuit configured to supply the first voltage to the first power-domain; and a second power-delivery circuit coupled to receive power from both the first power-delivery circuit and the first power-domain; wherein the second power-delivery circuit is configured to supply the second voltage to the second power-domain.

Abstract: A sensor package includes a lead frame, a sensor component, and first and second capacitors. The lead frame has a sensor mounting area and first and second leads. The sensor mounting area, the first lead, and the second lead are characterized by a first side and a second side. The sensor component is attached to the first side of the sensor mounting area of the lead frame. The first capacitor is interconnected between the first and second leads, with the first capacitor being attached to the first side of each of the leads. The second capacitor is interconnected between the first and second leads, with the second capacitor being attached to the second side of each of the leads. The first and second capacitors are arranged in stacked relation with one another on opposing sides of the leads, and the sensor component and capacitors are located in a single housing.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for checking the integrity of visual display information and has particular application to checking images displayed in an automotive vehicle, such images containing safety critical information. The image intensity is checked only to an extent commensurate with a human being able to interpret its correct meaning. Hence, images which are defective in some way yet still recognisable by the human eye are not classified as failures. In one embodiment, a part of the image containing safety critical information is segmented into smaller areas and the luminance of pixels in each segmented area is compared with a threshold brightness level and a threshold darkness level. A histogram for each area is generated and compared with a reference.

Abstract: A method of adaptively disabling deblock filtering of video information including determining a content characteristic of the video information, and adaptively disabling deblock filtering of the video information based on the content characteristic. The content characteristic may be a content complexity, such as an average of minimum sums of absolute differences of pixel values determined during motion estimation, or the mean square error of the video information, or the number of bits used for coding the video content. The content characteristic may be other than complexity, such as motion vector information. A video information processing system including a video processing circuit which processes video information and which determines a content characteristic of the video information, and a deblocking filter circuit which adaptively disables deblock filtering of the video information based on the content characteristic.

Abstract: Embodiments of a mixer of a Near field communication (NFC) receiver device and a method for operating a mixer of an NFC receiver device are disclosed. In an embodiment, a mixer of an NFC receiver device includes an input unit from which an input signal is received, a sample and hold circuit configured to sample the input signal and to store electrical charge based on the sampled input signal in order to generate a differential output signal, a control unit configured to switch the sample and hold circuit between different operational modes based on whether the input signal is a single-ended input signal or a differential input signal, and a differential output unit from which the differential output signal is output. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A data processing device, comprising a processing unit and a test control unit connected to the processing unit, is described. The processing unit and the test control unit are arranged to: start a logic test of the processing unit; detect a test abort event; and, in response to the test abort event, perform an event response action which comprises aborting the logic test and booting the processing unit, said booting including executing an event handling routine. The event response action may comprise setting a reset vector to an address of the event handling routine. System availability may thus be improved. In particular, the delay between capturing an asynchronous signal and responding to it may be reduced. The test abort event may, for example, be an asynchronous event having certain pre-defined characteristics. A method of operating a data processing device is also described.

Abstract: A method for selective etching using a dry film photoresist includes forming an opening through a substrate from a first surface to expose a stop layer at a second surface of the substrate. A material layer is formed over an inner surface of the opening and over the stop layer. The dry film photoresist is applied over the first surface of the substrate and over the opening. A second photoresist is applied on the dry film photoresist. First and second aligned holes are formed in the second photoresist and the dry film photoresist, respectively. The holes are approximately centered over the opening and are smaller in diameter than the opening so that a composite structure of the dry film photoresist and the second photoresist overhangs edges of the opening. The material layer is removed from the stop layer by etching via the first and second holes.

Abstract: Methods for supplying a synchronous rectifier (SR) driver circuit and supply voltage generation circuits for a SR driver circuit are described. In one embodiment, a method for supplying a SR driver circuit involves receiving a converted voltage from a secondary winding of a transformer and generating a supply voltage for the SR driver circuit based on the converted voltage, where the supply voltage is higher than an output voltage of the transformer that is generated using the secondary winding. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A system and method for demodulating a wireless power signal onto which binary data has been modulated involves processing the wireless power signal with analog circuitry to produce a modified power signal in accordance with the type of demodulation used, periodically capturing digital samples of the modified power signal to produce a series of digital samples, applying, with an MCU, at least two digital filtering algorithms to the digital samples to determine transitions associated with the modulation, and recovering, with the MCU, the binary data as a function of the determined transitions. The demodulator is applicable to bidirectional power transfer capable devices and includes algorithms that can be applied similarly to both ASK and FSK demodulations with little or no modification.

Abstract: Methods of securing a cryptographic device against implementation attacks, are described. A disclosed method comprises the steps of obtaining a key (230) from memory of the cryptographic device; providing the key and a constant input (210) to an encryption module (240); deriving an output (250) of encrypted data bits using the encryption module (240); providing the output (250), the key (230) and an input vector (270) to a key update module (260); and using said key update module (260) to modify the key based on at least a part (270a) of the input vector (270) to derive an updated key (230a). This prevents the value of the key from being derived using the updated key or by using side-channel attacks because the input is constant for all keys. Additionally, by altering the input vector, the updated key is also altered.

Abstract: An ESD protection structure comprising a first semiconductor region of a first doping type, a second semiconductor region of the first doping type, a semiconductor structure of a second doping type opposite to the first doping type formed to provide lateral isolation between the first and second semiconductor regions of the first doping type, and a first contact region of the second doping type formed within a surface of the second semiconductor region. A thyristor structure is formed within the ESD protection structure comprising the first contact region of the second doping type, the second semiconductor region of the first doping type, the semiconductor structure of the second doping type, and the first semiconductor region of the first doping type. Wherein no contact region is formed within a surface of the semiconductor structure of the second doping type between the first and second semiconductor regions of the first doping type.

Abstract: A method of controlling an operating mode of at least one processing module. The method comprises receiving an indication of the execution of at least one background task by the at least one processing module, aggregating an execution duration for the at least one background task on the at least one processing module, and configuring a lower power mode for the at least one processing module when the at least one background task is allocated to the at least one processing module for execution thereon if the aggregated execution duration for the at least one background task exceeds a threshold duration within an evaluation period.