Abstract: Various exemplary aspects are directed to apparatuses and methods involving switches communicatively-coupled on a bus where one or more of the switches operate to block signals from passing through the switch in a first mode, and to pass signals through the switch in a second mode. A logic circuit is responsive to addressing information received in the first mode, by storing and configuring the apparatus with the address information. The logic circuit ignores address information received in the second mode (e.g., does not reconfigure the apparatus with address information received in the second mode).

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of controlling a near field communications (NFC) system, including: reading a number of low power iterations N from a memory; performing N low power polls; performing a normal power poll. Further, various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of controlling a near field communications (NFC) system, including: performing a low power poll of a tag; detecting a tag; initiating a first activation of the detected tag; receiving an indication that the first activation fails; reading a number of retries N from a memory; performing a second activation.

Abstract: A hybrid device includes both an IEEE-802.11e type WLAN client station (QAP) and a BLUETOOTH piconet unit interconnected such that the BLUETOOTH transmissions are scheduled to occur according to a transmission opportunity (TXOP) that was granted by a quality of service (QoS) access point (QAP) in a basic service set (BSS). Requests for BLUETOOTH traffic are handled by the associated QSTA which generates an add traffic service (ADDTS) to the QAP.

Abstract: Signals are processed to facilitate the mitigation and/or cancellation of undesirable components within the signal. As consistent with one or more embodiments, input/delay circuits offset the phase of an input signal, as presented to respective amplifiers. The phase offset is used, upon combination of the outputs of the respective amplifiers, to cancel the undesirable components of the signal. Such an approach may, for example, involve phase offset in a digital domain, with correction upon combination of the signals as presented in an analog domain.

Abstract: A sensor (2) for sensing a first substance and a second substance, the sensor comprising first (3) and second (5) sensor components each comprising a first material (20), the first material being sensitive to both the first substance and the second substance, the sensor further comprising a barrier (18) for preventing the second substance from passing into the second sensor component (5).

Abstract: A multiband antenna (200) comprising a substrate (202) and at least one conductive plate (204) on the substrate (202). The at least one conductive plate (204) defines a first conductive region (206), a second conductive region (208) and a third conductive region (210). The first, second and third conductive regions (206, 208, 210) are configured so as to define a first gap (212) between the first conductive region (206) and the second conductive region (208); and a second gap (214) between the second conductive region (208) and the third conductive region (210). The multiband antenna also comprises a feeding port (230) comprising a signal terminal (230a). The signal terminal (230a) is configured to couple the second conductive region (208) to a first connecting element for conducting transmit or receive signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for thermal stress reduction on a wafer, comprising the steps of providing a patterned wafer with saw lanes between adjacent dies, forming thin holes within the silicon substrate, which holes create a dotted groove in the saw lanes, and wherein no second layer on an opposing side of the wafer is formed, a patterned wafer obtained by said method. The forming of the holes is preferably combined with other processing steps or another step to avoid additional operations and manipulations prior to, or after standard wafer processing, and it therefore optimizes fabrication quality and costs. Preferably the holes within the silicon substrate having a depth of more than 3 to 50 ?m, preferably from 5-40 ?m, like 20 ?m.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system of automatically adjusting a mirror (14, 16, 18) in a vehicle (10) to provide a driver (1) with an optimized rear view. A camera (24, 26, 28) is provided that is directed at the adjustable mirror (14, 16, 18). A camera capture area (60) is defined in the adjustable mirror (14, 16, 18), and the mirror (14, 16, 18) is automatically adjusted until the eyes (50) of the driver (1) are captured by the camera (24, 26, 28) within the capture area (60).

Abstract: A device including a Doherty amplifier, the Doherty amplifier having an amplifier input and output. At least one main amplifier is coupled to the input via a main input impedance and to the output via a main output impedance and additional amplifiers, each amplifier being coupled to the input via respective additional input impedances. Each additional amplifier has a respective additional amplifier output coupled to a respective pair of additional impedances connected in series and having a respective connection node between them. The device also has a first additional amplifier having their respective additional impedances coupled between its respective output and the amplifier output, the pair of additional impedances having first and second impedances, the first impedance being connected to the respective additional amplifier output and to the connection node, the second impedance being coupled between their respective connection node and the connection node of the previous additional amplifier.

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-band antenna comprising a planar substrate which in use is intended for vertical mounting, and has a bottom edge and a top edge. A conductor pattern is printed on one side of the substrate with three slots. A first slot is a U or J shape facing downwardly and a second is a U or J shape facing upwardly. A third slot extends in the vertical direction and is open at the top. A first antenna feed is coupled to a horizontal track of the second slot and a second antenna feed is coupled to the third slot. The three slots together provide multi-band performance in three bands.

Abstract: Substrate material is oxidised around side walls of a set of channels. A shielding structure means there is more oxide growth at the top than the bottom with the result that the non-oxidised substrate material area between the channels forms a tapered shape with a pointed tip at the top. These pointed substrate areas are then used to form cathodes.

Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor device comprising with a capacitive security shield structure which uses a set of randomly distributed dielectric or conducting particles formed within a dielectric layer. A set of electrodes can be configured as at least two sets, wherein a first set is used to measure a capacitance characteristic, and a second set is configured as non-measurement set. The electrode configuration can be altered so that multiple measurements can be obtained.

Abstract: An oscillator circuit comprising first and second resonator terminals for connecting to respective terminals of a resonator. The oscillator circuit also comprises a first inverting amplifier connected between the first and second resonator terminals in a first mode of operation; and a back to back pair of second inverting amplifiers connected between the first and second resonator terminals in a second mode of operation. There is also provided a controller configured to compare an operational parameter of the oscillator circuit to a switchover threshold, and switch the oscillator circuit from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation when the operational parameter exceeds the switchover threshold.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a communication apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a near field communication circuit designed to update at least one event field, associated with a number of occurrences of at least one event, which converted from a first data coding format to a second data coding format and provided in an external communication message that is communicated automatically or in response to receiving an access command. Also included in the instant specification are communication systems, and methods of communicating.

Abstract: A thyristor is disclosed comprising: a first region of a first conductivity type; a second region of a second conductivity type and adjoining the first region; a third region of the first conductivity type and adjoining the second region; a fourth region of the second conductivity type and comprising a first segment and a second segment separate from the first segment, the first segment and second segment each adjoining the third region; a first contact adjoining the first region; a second contact adjoining the first segment; and a trigger contact adjoining the second segment and separate from the second contact. Methods of triggering such a thyristor are also disclosed, as are circuits utilising one or more such thyristors.

Abstract: A security token is conceived, in particular a smart card, being adapted to support multi-factor user authentication, said security token comprising: a tactile sensing user interface being adapted to capture a stream of input data corresponding to a sequence of positions of a finger engaging with said tactile sensing user interface and representing a user-specific credential for authorizing a transaction; a conversion unit being adapted to convert said stream of input data into a machine-readable credential; a computation unit being adapted to compute a machine-readable authentication code based on the machine-readable credential; a contact-bound interface being adapted to transmit said machine-readable authentication code to a first transaction device; a contactless interface being adapted to transmit said machine-readable authentication code to a second transaction device.

Abstract: A multiprocessing system executes a plurality of processes concurrently. A process execution circuit (10) issues requests to access a shared resource (16) from the processes. A shared access circuit (14) sequences conflicting ones of the requests. A simulating access circuit (12) generates signals to stall at least one of the processes at simulated stall time points selected as a predetermined function of requests from only the at least one of the processes and/or the timing of the requests from only the at least one of the processes, irrespective of whether said stalling is made necessary by sequencing of conflicting ones of the requests. Thus, part from predetermined maximum response times, predetermined average timing can be guaranteed, independent of the combination of processes that is executed.

Abstract: A method is described for manufacturing a magnetic sensor module (100, 200, 300, 400) having magnetic sensor elements (130, 330, 430) monolithically integrated at a semiconductor chip (110) which comprises an integrated circuit.

Abstract: A Marchand balun has a primary transmission line with a width smaller than the two secondary transmission lines. The two secondary transmission lines also have different widths and lengths. This arrangement provides an imbalance between the widths and lengths of the transmission lines. It has been found that this imbalance can enable improved amplitude unbalance and phase unbalance.

Abstract: A MEMS device, such as a microphone, uses a fixed perforated plate. The fixed plate comprises an array of holes across the plate area. At least a set of the holes adjacent the outer periphery comprises a plurality of rows of elongate holes, the rows at different distances from the periphery. This design improves the mechanical robustness of the membrane and can additionally allow tuning of the mechanical behavior of the plate.