Abstract: A testing circuit has scan chain segments (62,64,60) defined between parallel inputs (wpi[0] . . . wpi[N?1]) and respective parallel outputs (wpo[0] . . . wpo[N?1]). The scan chain segments comprise a bank (62) of cells of a shift register circuit, a core scan chain portion (62), a first bypass path around the core scan chain portion (62) and a second bypass path around the bank (60) of cells of the shift register circuit. This architecture enables loading of data in parallel into the core scan chain, or into the shift register (WBR). In addition, each scan chain segment also has a series latching element (80), and this provides additional testing capability. In particular, the shifting of data between the latching elements (80) can be used to test the bypass paths while the internal or external mode testing is being carried out. This testing can thus be part of a single ATPG procedure.

Abstract: A charge pump stage of an RFID transponder includes an RF node, a capacitor bank, a plurality of current-biased rectifier stages, a DC bus, a programmable current source and a control circuit. The RF node provides an RF signal. The capacitor bank has a selectable capacitance and is electrically coupled to the RF node. The plurality of current-biased rectifier stages receives the RF signal from the RF node. The plurality of current-biased rectifier stages provides a DC output. The DC bus receives the DC output from the plurality of rectifier stages and provides a supply voltage. The programmable current source provides a plurality of current bias signals for each of the plurality of current-biased rectifier stages. The control circuit is in electrical communication with the capacitor bank and the programmable current source. The control circuit selects the selectable capacitance of the capacitor bank and programs the current source.

Abstract: A die package (72) for a semiconductor die (20). A plurality of the die packages (72) are formed on a single carrier (10) by applying a body (55) of molding compound across a carrier (10) with an air cavity (70) defined in the molding compound about each of a plurality of device regions (12) of the carrier (10). After a semiconductor die (20) is attached inside the air cavity (70) of each device region (12) and electrically connected with at least one contact pad (14, 16, 18), a cover (68) is applied to close all of the air cavities (70). Following singulation, each semiconductor die (20) is located inside the sealed air cavity (70) of one die package (72). The molding compound of each die package (72) may be locked against movement relative to the device region (12) of the carrier (10) by locking features (30, 38, 48, 50).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bias control circuit and method for supplying a bias signal to at least one stage of an amplifier circuit, wherein a dual bias control is provided by generating a bias current and additionally using this bias current to derive a control signal for limiting a supply voltage of the at least one amplifier stage in response to the control signal. Thereby, a compression of the output signal of the amplifier stage, which results from the voltage limitation, can be realized in addition to the base current steering. This leads to a decrease in small signal gain and thus reduced output noise.

Abstract: A system for protecting a codeword u against an error in at least one <7-ary symbol, where q is an rth power of two, r>1 (q=2r). The code word u includes information symbols u[0] . . . u[k?1] , k>1 , each information symbol representing an integer in the range {0 . . . 2w?1}, where w=n*r, n?1. A processor includes an integer processing unit for, under control of a program, calculating a parity symbol u[k] for protecting the information symbols, where the parity symbol includes ?(a[0]·u[0]+a[1] ·u[1]+. . . +a[k?1]•u[k?1]) mod M, where the multiplication · and the addition + are integer operations. The constants a[0] . . . a[£?1] lie in {0 . . . M?1}, M>1 and are chosen such that the elements a[i]*d*qi mod M are unique for i?{0, . . . ,k?1}, j?{0 . . . n?1}, ?q<d<q, d?0.

Abstract: A device (100) for processing data, the device (100) comprising a plurality of signal paths (130, 140, 150) each receiving an identical analog input signal (104), at least one signal conditioning unit (101 to 103) in at least one of the plurality of signal paths (130, 140, 150), wherein each signal conditioning unit (101 to 103) is adapted for generating a respective analog intermediate signal (105 to 107) by manipulating a property, particularly an amplitude, of the analog input signal (104), and a plurality of analog to digital converting units (108 to 110) each of which being assigned to a corresponding one of the plurality of signal paths (130, 140, 150) and being supplied with the analog input signal (104) or a respective analog intermediate signal (105 to 107), wherein each of the plurality of analog to digital converting units (108 to 110) is adapted for generating a respective digital intermediate signal (111 to 113) based on the respective analog intermediate signal (105 to 107) or based on the analo

Abstract: A system for generating a programmable exponential analog output signal, comprising a digital to analog conversion circuit for converting said digital signal into an analog output signal, the digital to analog conversion circuit having a substantially exponential transfer function defined by a programmable ratio of values of components. Preferably, the conversion circuit is implemented as a current mirror (100), with the exponential transfer function being defined by the mirror ratio. Thus, each transistor of the current mirror (100) defines a step of the digital to analog conversion circuit, and the ratio between adjacent steps is substantially constant. The transistors may be substantially equally sized or binary weighted relative to each other, and can be switched from the input to the output under the control of a tree based thermometer line decoder.

Abstract: A switched mode power converter is disclosed, together with a method for operating the same. The power converter is adapted to be operable in the boundary conduction mode, and operation is interruptible in the absence of any load requirement.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method and a system for dynamic cache partitioning for application tasks in a multiprocessor. An approach for dynamically resizing cache partitions based on the execution phase of the application tasks is provided. The execution phases of the application tasks are identified and updated in a tabular form. Cache partitions are resized during a particular instance of the execution of application tasks such that the necessary and sufficient amount of cache space is allocated to the application tasks at any given point of time. The cache partition size is determined according to the working set requirement of the tasks during its execution, which is monitored dynamically or statically. Cache partitions are resized according to the execution phase of the task dynamically such that unnecessary reservation of the entire cache is avoided and hence an effective utilization of the cache is achieved.

Abstract: A method of performing a service scan for available channels across a bandwidth of an input signal, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a power spectrum of the input signal bandwidth; analysing the power spectrum to identify a list of candidate channels, each candidate channel being identified by at least a centre frequency; processing each of the candidate channels in a receiver unit to extract service information, if present, relating to the candidate channel; and storing the service information for the channel in a memory.

Abstract: An electronic device is provided, which comprises at least one processing unit (CPU) for processing at least one application, an operating system (OS) for controlling the at least one application performed by the at least one processing unit (CPU), at least one workload build-up detector (WBD) for detecting a build-up of the workload of the at least one processing unit (CPU), at least one workload decrease detector (WDD) for detecting a decrease of the workload of the at least one processing unit (CPU), and at least one power management unit (SPM) for controlling an operating frequency and/or an operating voltage of the at least one processing unit in dependence on the detected workload build-up or the detected workload decrease.

Abstract: A colour image enhancement method, for enhancing the colour of a colour image comprising a plurality of pixels. The method comprises: mapping a colour saturation value of each pixel to a normalised saturation value, wherein the range of values of normalised saturation is the same independent of the luminance value of the pixel; estimating a probability distribution of the normalised saturation values; defining a transfer function for modifying the normalised saturation values, based on the estimated probability distribution; and applying the transfer function to the normalised saturation values to generate modified values.

Abstract: A method of digitally processing an audio signal by sequentially performing a plurality of operations on an input audio signal by a plurality of algorithms to provide an output audio signal is provided. The method comprises automatically performing the following steps: sequentially performing the plurality of operations (a, b, c, . . . ) on an input audio signal (20) in a first sequence of operations and independently in at least one different sequence of operations; evaluating the quality of respective output audio signals (output . . . 1, output . . . 2 . . . , output . . . n!) achieved with the first sequence and the at least one different sequence; and selecting the sequence of operations providing the highest quality output audio signal for further processing of input audio signals.

Abstract: A reader device (110) for reading information transmitted from a transponder (120), the reader device (110) comprising a distance estimation unit (112) adapted for estimating a distance between the reader device (110) and the transponder (120) based on a propagation related difference of a property of two sidebands of a backscattering signal transmitted from the transponder (120).

Abstract: A system and method for performing motion control measures an effect of luminance variations of a display on captured image data containing motion information with regard to brightness and adjusts the brightness of the image data to compensate the effect of the luminance variations of the display on the image data to increase the accuracy of object motion sensing for motion control.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising at least one measuring cell (10) is disclosed. The measuring cell comprises a first cavity (16 and a second cavity (18) perpendicular to the first cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity comprising an overlap at first respective ends and a reflective surface (20) at the opposite respective ends. A beam splitter (15) is located in the overlap and an electromagnetic radiation source (12) is arranged to project a beam of electromagnetic radiation onto the beam splitter (15) such that the beam is projected into each of the cavities. A phase detector (22) for detecting a phase difference between the respective electromagnetic radiation reflected by the first and second cavity (16; 18) is also provided. In addition, the apparatus has a fluid channel (26), at least a part of which runs parallel to the first cavity (16) such that the electromagnetic radiation projected into the first cavity extends into said part of the fluid channel.

Abstract: A display device backlight comprises at least one LED and a control circuit for controlling the brightness of the LED, wherein the control circuit comprises a drive transistor for driving a current through the LED and a pulse width modulation circuit for controlling the timing of operation of the drive transistor. A compensation circuit provides a first boost current to the gate of the drive transistor during a rising edge of the current profile and provides a second boost current to the gate of the drive transistor during a falling edge of the current profile. This arrangement improves the switching response of the drive transistor by providing boost currents to/from the gate of the drive transistor during the rising and falling edges of the current through the drive transistor (in response to steps in the PWM control signal).

Abstract: A method of tuning an antenna is provided, wherein the method comprises receiving a first signal strength indicator indicating a signal strength of a first data signal transmitted by an antenna on a first frequency, receiving a second signal strength indicator indicating a signal strength of a second data signal transmitted by the antenna on a second frequency different to the first frequency, determining a tuning control signal based on the first signal strength indicator and the second signal strength indicator, and tuning the antenna based on the control signal.

Abstract: A method of accessing in a mobile communication device (4) an application (5, 14, 26), the application (5, 14, 26) being issued by a Service Provider (2), from a trusted application, also known as wallet (12), in which mobile device (4) a secure element (7) such as a SmartMX device is comprised that comprises a service manager (8) that manages the application (5, 14, 26), comprising managing by the service manager (8) a link between the application (5, 14, 26) and an application-codec (6, 15) also being issued by the Service Provider (2), wherein the application-codec (6, 15) is designed for interfacing between the service manager (8) and the application (5, 14, 26) and for processing an access request requesting access to the application (5, 14, 26) received from the service manager (8) and triggered by the wallet (12), and, triggered by the wallet (12), accessing the application (5, 14, 26) via the service manager (8) by means of utilization of the link between the application (5, 14, 26) and the applicatio

Abstract: A MEMS pressure sensor for sensing the pressure in a sealed cavity of a MEMS device, comprises a resonant MEMS device having a pressure sensor resonator element which comprises an array of openings. The resonant frequency of the resonant MEMS device is a function of the pressure in the cavity, with resonant frequency increasing with pressure. Over the pressure range 0 to 0.1 kPa, the average change in frequency is at least 10?6/Pa. The invention is based on the recognition that for fast oscillation, the elastic force causes the resonance frequency to shift. Therefore, it is possible to sense the pressure by a device with resonance frequency that is sensitive to the pressure.