Abstract: According to an embodiment, a time reference device is provided. In the embodiment, the time reference device, includes a corrodible element, wherein a corrosion of the corrodible element advances with advancing time, and a sensor configured for providing a sensor signal, the sensor signal depending on a physical property of the corrodible element; wherein the physical property of the corrodible element changes with a corrosion of the corrodible element and the physical property of the corrodible element is at least one of an electrical property, a magnetic property, and an optical property. A barrier may be provided for defining a permeability for a corrosive substance to the corrodible element.

Abstract: A method of scaling complexity of a video processing system including determining a power saving factor based on an operating parameter and adjusting processing of video information based on the power saving factor to reduce computation complexity. The operating parameter may include available power and/or available processing capacity. A method of complexity scalability for a video processing system using prioritized layered coding including determining a power saving factor based on one or more metrics, such as power capacity and/or available processing capacity, and reducing processing complexity of multiple prioritized coding functions in a predetermined order of priority based on the level of the power saving factor. A video processing system including a power management circuit which determines the power saving factor and a video encoder system which correspondingly adjusts computation complexity.

Abstract: The invention provides a test board support platform for supporting a test board during tests, the platform comprising a heat conductive interface arranged to contact a bottom side of the test board at a first side of the heat conductive interface. The support platform also comprises a thermal conditioner coupled to a second side of the heat conductive interface, the second side being opposite the first side. By using this test board support platform a test board can be supported and thermally controlled in a way so that a DUT positioned on the test board can be probed from above, while the temperature is controlled from below.

Abstract: Embodiments of circuits for use with an amplifier that includes multiple amplifier paths include a first circuit and a second circuit in parallel with the first circuit. The first circuit includes a first input coupled to a first power divider output, a first output coupled to a first amplifier path of the multiple amplifier paths, and a first adjustable phase shifter and a first attenuator series coupled between the first input and the first output. The second circuit includes a second input coupled to a second power divider output, a second output coupled to a second amplifier path of the multiple amplifier paths, and a second adjustable phase shifter coupled between the second input and the second output.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a semiconductor die having a lower surface, a sintered metallic layer underlying the lower surface of the semiconductor die, a conductive layer underlying the sintered metallic layer, and a conductive substrate underlying the conductive layer.

Abstract: A digital synchronizer is disclosed with a phase locked loop and a carrier generator. The phase locked loop is configured to produce an output signal having the same frequency as an input signal by selecting a divider ratio of a frequency divider with a control signal, the frequency divider divides the frequency of a high frequency signal by the divider ratio to provide the output signal; carrier generator is configured to generate an oversampled carrier signal by using the control signal to produce a carrier signal with a period corresponding with a contemporaneous period of the output signal.

Abstract: Data carriers for inventorying by means of a communication station, whereby the communication station and each data carrier are brought into communicative connection, and each data carrier brought into communicative connection with the communication station is configured to generate a response signal that renders possible an inventorying of the data carrier and is capable of delivering a generated response signal with the use of a transmission start moment that can be selected from a plurality of transmission start moments, each data carrier tests whether another data carrier is already giving its response signal. Each data carrier is configured to discontinue the generation or delivery of its response signal if another data carrier is already providing its response signal.

Abstract: A packaged RF device is provided that utilizes flexible circuit leads. The RF device includes at least one integrated circuit (IC) die configured to implement the RF device. The IC die is contained inside a package. In accordance with the embodiments described herein, a flexible circuit is implemented as a lead. Specifically, the flexible circuit lead is coupled to the at least one IC die inside the package and extends to outside the package, the flexible circuit lead thus providing an electrical connection to the at least one IC die inside the package.

Abstract: The present application relates to an interconnect system comprising a video signal transmitter and video signal receiver for transmitting a stream of N-symbol data signals over an error prone wired parallel bus having at least N data signal lines. A line scrambler at the video signal transmitter is configured to accept an N-symbol data signal having a sequence of data symbols in a predefined order and to output a permuted sequence of data symbols in accordance with a permutation. The line de-scrambler at the video signal receiver is configured to accept the permuted sequence of data symbols at its input terminal and to restore the predefined order of data symbols from the permuted sequence of data symbols in accordance with the corresponding reverse permutation.

Abstract: The present application relates to an interconnect system for transmitting a stream of N-symbol data signals, which comprises a parallel data signal line bus, a line scrambler, a line de-scrambler and a defect detector. The defect detector is configured to detect one or more defective data signal lines. The line scrambler 110 is configured to accept an N-symbol data signal d having a sequence of data symbols in a predefined order and to output a permuted sequence d? of data symbols at its N output terminals oj. The line de-scrambler is configured to accept the permuted sequence d? of data symbols at its input terminal i?j, to restore the predefined order of the data symbols from the permuted sequence d? of data symbols; and to output the restored N-symbol data signal d comprising a sequence of data symbols in the predefined order.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed that includes a first region of a first conductivity type that includes a drain, a region of a second conductivity type abutting the first region in a lateral direction and a vertical direction to form an interface between the first conductivity type and the second conductivity type, wherein the drain region is spaced apart from the interface. A source region of the first conductivity type abuts the second region in the lateral direction and vertical directions. A control gate structure includes a conductive layer that is spaced apart from the drain region by a first dimension in the lateral direction. A shallow trench isolation (STI) region having a second dimension in the lateral direction is disposed at a location of the first region between the source and drain regions, wherein the second dimension is less than one-half of the first dimension.

Abstract: An RF circuit includes a first dielectric material, a signal line and a bias line over a first surface of the first dielectric material, a conductive layer over a second surface of the first dielectric material, and a second dielectric material over the conductive layer. The first and second dielectric materials have different dielectric constants. The conductive layer includes a ground plane over which the signal line is formed. A conductive material void, with which a section of the bias line is aligned, is present in the second conductive layer. The RF circuit further includes a mounting area for an RF device. First ends of the signal line and the section of the bias line are located proximate to the mounting area to enable the signal line and the bias line to be electrically coupled with one or more leads of the RF device.

Abstract: An embodiment of a device includes a semiconductor substrate, a transistor formed at the first substrate surface, a first conductive feature formed over the first substrate surface and electrically coupled to the transistor, and a second conductive feature covering only a portion of the second substrate surface to define a first conductor-less region. A cavity vertically aligned with the first conductive feature within the first conductor-less region extends into the semiconductor substrate. A dielectric medium may be disposed within the cavity and have a dielectric constant less than a dielectric constant of the semiconductor substrate. A method for forming the device may include forming a semiconductor substrate, forming a transistor on the semiconductor substrate, forming the first conductive feature, forming the second conductive feature, forming the conductor-less region, forming the cavity, and filling the cavity with the dielectric medium.

Abstract: Embodiments include a beam determining unit intended to be connected to a wireless heterogeneous network and a beam-searching method for a wireless heterogeneous network. In the context of a millimeter wave heterogeneous network, it is proposed to do away with the conventional exhaustive beam-searching procedure which is both time and power consuming. Instead, it is proposed a two-step procedure where a line of sight path is determined between a user equipment and a small cell of the millimeter wave heterogeneous network based on positioning information of the user equipment and the small cell. Then, it is determined an optimal antenna beam pair comprising antenna beams at the user equipment and the small cell based on the determined line of sight path and the antenna beam directions available at the user equipment and the small cell level.

Abstract: Low Q associated with passive components of monolithic integrated circuits (ICs) when operated at microwave frequencies can be avoided or mitigated using high resistivity (e.g., ?100 Ohm-cm) semiconductor substrates and lower resistance inductors for the IC. This eliminates significant in-substrate electromagnetic coupling losses from planar inductors and interconnections overlying the substrate. The active transistor(s) are formed in the substrate proximate the front face. Planar capacitors are also formed over the front face of the substrate. Various terminals of the transistor(s), capacitor(s) and inductor(s) are coupled to a ground plane on the rear face of the substrate using through-substrate-vias to minimize parasitic resistance. Parasitic resistance associated with the planar inductors and heavy current carrying conductors is minimized by placing them on the outer surface of the IC where they can be made substantially thicker and of lower resistance.

Abstract: A method of operating frequency shift keying (FSK) demodulator for demodulating symbols includes providing current and previous buffered portions of an input signal to correlation circuits of the FSK demodulator, where each buffered portion persists for a symbol duration time period. The correlation circuits output first correlation metrics that indicate a likelihood of whether the buffered portions match a respective target pattern. The first correlation metrics are combined into a set of first correlation results, which are delayed by at least the symbol duration time period. The current and next buffered portions are provided to the correlation circuits, which output second correlation metrics that are combined into a set of second correlation results. The set of second correlation results are combined with the delayed set of first correlation results to produce a demodulation decision that indicates a most likely symbol value encoded in the current buffered portion.

Abstract: An acoustic processor for a mobile device is described the mobile device comprising a speaker including a speaker membrane, the speaker membrane having a first speaker membrane side and second speaker membrane side opposite the first speaker membrane side, a mobile device housing for providing a first acoustic path between the first speaker membrane side and the exterior of the mobile device and a second acoustic path between the second speaker membrane side and the exterior of the mobile device, the acoustic processor being configured and arranged to sense a signal on an acoustic processor input, the signal being induced on at least one terminal of the speaker in response to acoustic waves process the induced signal to discriminate between acoustic waves from different directions; and output the processed signal on an acoustic processor output.

Abstract: A mechanism to adjust variable focus lenses using monitored glucose levels is provided. A glucose sensor provides current blood glucose levels to a controller for the variable focus lenses. The controller determines appropriate adjustment control information for the variable focus lenses based upon the reported glucose levels. This adjustment control information is provided to the lenses, which are adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods and systems for BMC decoding are described. In an embodiment, a method for BMC decoding involves performing a unit interval estimation of a BMC encoded bit stream, locating a bit boundary of the BMC encoded bit stream based on the unit interval estimation and a known sequence in a preamble of the BMC encoded bit stream, and measuring a time duration across multiple bit transitions from the bit boundary and decoding the BMC encoded bit stream based on the time duration and the unit interval estimation.

Abstract: A power efficient direct Tire Pressure Monitoring System, TPMS, for providing a non-continuous tire pressure monitoring of a tire of a vehicle, such as a automobile vehicle, the TPMS comprising: a processing unit having at least a first operating mode and a second operating mode; a timing unit; an acceleration measuring unit; a comparing unit; a pressure measuring unit; a transmitting unit; and, a power supplying unit for supplying power to the processing unit in the first and second operating modes wherein the latter mode is less power consuming than the former mode, wherein the processing unit is adapted to: enter the second operating mode after an acceleration threshold and an operating clock frequency have been set; and, enter the first operating mode responsive to a first trigger signal. A tire, a vehicle and a method are also claimed.