Abstract: In a method of inventorying a plurality of transponders (2) by means of a communication station (1) communicating with the transponders (2) in contactless manner, the communication station (1) emits an unmodulated carrier signal (NMCS) in a communications range of the communication station (1) and each transponder (2) on entering the communications range then emits a presence-signaling signal (PRES) and the communication station (1) on receiving a presence-signaling signal (PRES) then emits an inventorying command signal (INVS) and each transponder (2) on receiving the inventorying command signal (INVS) then emits a response signal (RESPS) permitting inventorying of the transponder (2) and the communication station (1) on correctly receiving a response signal (RESPS) then undertakes inventorying of the relevant transponder (2).

Abstract: Circuit for a data carrier, which circuit is capable of supplying identification information to a communications arrangement.

Abstract: A light sensor and light sensing system to detect an intensity of incident light and an angle of incidence of the incident light. The light sensor includes a dielectric layer, a plurality of photo detectors coupled relative to the dielectric layer, and a plurality of stacks of opaque slats embedded within the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is substantially transparent to the incident light. The photo detectors detect the incident light through the dielectric layer. The stacks of opaque slats are approximately parallel to an interface between the dielectric layer and the photo detectors. The stacks of opaque slats define light apertures between adjacent stacks of opaque slats. At least some of the stacks of opaque slats are arranged at a non-zero angle relative to other stacks of the opaque slats.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a monitor cell (200) for monitoring local variations in a process parameter of an integrated circuit. The monitor cell (200) comprises a first delay path (220) located in a first area (100, 110, 120) of the integrated circuit and a second delay path (230) located in a second area (100, 110, 120) of the integrated circuit. The first delay path (220) is faster than the second delay path (230) when the difference in the respective process parameter values of the first area and the second area is smaller than a predefined threshold. In contrast, the second delay path (230) is faster than the first delay path (220) when said difference is larger than the predefined threshold. The monitor cell further comprises an input (210) arranged to provide the first delay path (220) and the second delay path (230) with a test signal (260) and a signal detector (240) for detecting the order in which the delay paths (210; 220) output the test signal (260).

Abstract: A reader device for detecting the presence of a transponder within an operating distance of the reader device, the reader device comprising a resonant circuit adapted for generating an electromagnetic field having a frequency distribution around a resonance frequency, and a transponder detection unit adapted for detecting the presence of the transponder within the operating distance of the reader device by a shift of the resonance frequency of the resonant circuit in the presence of the transponder within the operating distance of the reader device.

Abstract: A MEMS piezoresistive resonator (8, 78) is driven at a higher order eigenmode (32) than the fundamental eigenmode (31). The route of flow of a sense current (22) is arranged in relation to a characteristic of the higher order eigenmode (32), for example by being at a point of maximum displacement (50) or at a point of maximum rate of change with respect to distance (x) of displacement of the higher order eigenmode (32). The route of flow of the sense current (22) may be arranged by fabricating the MEMS piezoresistive resonator (8, 78) with a trench (15) formed between two beams (11, 12) of the MEMS piezoresistive resonator (8, 78), the end of the trench being located at the above mentioned position.

Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated circuit comprising a substrate having a first side and a second opposing side. An electronic circuit (EC) is provided at the first side (S1) of the substrate, wherein the electronic circuit (EC) comprises at least one magnetic field sensor (Snsr, Snsr1, Snsr2, Snsr3, Snsr4). The integrated circuit further comprises a magnetizable region (MR) provided on the second side (S1) of the substrate (SUB) by using a wafer-level type deposition processing step. The magnetic moment of the magnetizable region (MR) is configurable for generating a magnetic field (H1, H2) detectable at the location of the at least one magnetic field sensor Snsr3 (Snsr, Snsr1, Snsr2, Snsr3, Snsr4). The integrated circuit constitutes a very simple construction and enables a strongly miniaturized solution which is, because of its reduced dimensions well suitable for being used in bank cards. An attempt to remove the integrated circuit according to the invention from its environment (e.g.

Abstract: A method and system for operating a wireless access point is disclosed. In an embodiment, a wireless access point determines whether bursty interference is present within the operating range of the wireless access point and then adapts a transmission characteristic in response to the determination. In an embodiment, the wireless access point determines whether bursty interference is present by changing at least one transmission characteristic and monitoring the resulting error rates. The presence of bursty interference can be detected if a lowering of the transmission rate causes an increase in the error rate. The increase in the error rate is a result of the lower transmission rate and corresponding longer transmission time for each frame, which in turn increases the likelihood that a frame will overlap with bursty interference.

Abstract: A device (110) for evaluating an electromagnetic field strength/field geometry of an electromagnetic gate apparatus (120) is provided, the device (110) comprising a measurement unit (112) adapted for receiving a measurement signal from the electromagnetic gate apparatus (120) and determining a value of the field strength of said measurement signal, a communication unit (114) adapted for receiving command data from the electromagnetic gate apparatus (120) and adapted for sending response data to the electromagnetic gate apparatus (120). Optionally, the device (110) comprises an evaluation unit (116,118) adapted for evaluating the electromagnetic field geometry of the electromagnetic gate apparatus (120) based on said values of the field strength received from the measurement unit (112).

Abstract: According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a method is implemented for transmitting data between a Media Access Control Layer (MAC) (100) and a Physical Layer (PHY) (150) using an internal data bus for transmitting a set of internal symbols between the MAC (100) and PHY (150). A subset of internal symbols does not have a corresponding PHY symbol. An external data bus carries data symbols. An external interface (102, 118) provides command information on one or more dedicated command lines and provides the data symbols. An encoder (108, 110) encodes the provided command information into one or more of the subset of internal symbols. An internal interface (106, 107, 109, 111) transmits the one or more of the subset of internal symbols and the data symbols between the MAC (100) and PHY (150) using the internal data bus.

Abstract: A sigma-delta modulator (200) for an ADC, passes an input signal to a loop filter (20), then to a multi-bit quantizer (30) of the modulator (200). An output of the quantizer (30) is passed to a digital filter (50), and a feedback signal is passed back to the loop filter (20), the feedback signal having fewer bits than are produced by the multi-bit quantizer (30). No separate feedback loop for the digital filter (50) is used, so as to reduce the need to adjust the loop filter for stable operation. The digital filter (50) can have an order greater than one in the passband of the sigma-delta modulator (200).

Abstract: MIFARE applications (MIA) are organized in at least one sector comprising sector data being arranged in data blocks and a sector trailer. A compressing method for MIFARE application comprises: searching for consecutive occurrences of same data values in the sector data and replacing the detected consecutive data having the same data value by a sequence comprising said data value and a number indicating the number of consecutive sector data having that data value; and/or searching for all different sector trailer values and replacing all sector trailers by references to respective ones of the different sector trailer values.

Abstract: A harmonic rejection mixer unit is provided which comprises an input (RF), at least one harmonic rejection unit (HRU) with at least two transistor units (T3a, T3b; T4a, T4b) for multiplying an input signal from the input (RF) with a multiplication signal (ELO). The harmonic rejection mixer unit furthermore comprises a transistor control signal generating unit (GGU) for generating transistor control signals (GS1-GS4) for the at least two transistor units (T3a, T3b; T4a, T4b) of the at least one harmonic rejection unit (HRU) by deriving the transistor control signals (GS1-GS4) from a local oscillator signal (LO). The transistor control signals (GS3, GS4) for the at least two transistor units (T3a, T3b; T4a, T4b) are generated with a duty cycle of <50% and are generated such that the shape of the multiplication signal ELO) is achieved by a constructive summation of the output signals from the transistor units (T3a, T3b; T4a, T4b).

Abstract: A technique for managing the transmission resources in a wireless communications system (100) that includes a base station (102) and a plurality of mobile stations (104), wherein the base station is configured to transmit baseband signals from at least two antennas (106), involves identifying resource blocks that are available for baseband transmissions, identifying antennas (106) of the base station (102) that are available for baseband transmissions, and establishing a transmission scheme for the plurality of mobile stations (104) that defines both the allocation of available resource blocks and the selection of available antennas (106) amongst the plurality of mobile stations (104).

Abstract: A road toll system comprising a vehicle-mounted unit having a satellite navigation receiver (52) implementing a position tracking function. The system further comprises means for determining the routes taken by the vehicle based on the position tracking information and a sensor (54,56,57,58,60,61,62) for detecting a local vehicle condition which is independent of the satellite navigation signals, and which local vehicle condition is dependent on the absolute position of the vehicle or a change in the position of the vehicle. The authenticity of the position tracking information is validated using the sensor information. This system uses a satellite navigation receiver to enable infrastructure-free road tolling to be implemented. The system further provides a way of preventing a so-called fake GPS attack, i.e. providing false GPS data to reduce the road tolls payable. This is achieved by providing validation of the GPS position information by comparing with independent information collected by the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention refers to a flash light compensation system and corresponding method for digital camera systems, wherein a luminance compensation is carried out on an image of a scene (3) picked-up by an image sensor (1), on the basis of a respective intensity field measured by a plurality of sensors (4, 5), when the scene is illuminated by flash light emitted by a flash device (2). Depending upon the output signals of the plurality of sensors a depth field of the scene is estimated, and this estimation provides a basis for the luminance adjustment on the scene picked up as an image while illuminated by the flash device. The system and method is suitable for effectively reducing the problem of unevenly distributed lighting on a picked-up image of the scene.

Abstract: A drive circuit for delivering an AC voltage to an array of electro-luminescent lamps (8a to 8n) includes a single coil (1), the energy in which is transferred to each lamp through a corresponding switch assembly (10a to 10n) having positive and negative-going paths for conducting positive and negative voltages to the corresponding lamp. The magnitudes of the voltages applied to the parallel-connected lamps are controllable so that the illumination levels of the lamps are individually adjustable.

Abstract: A hybrid device (100) includes both a IEEE-802.11e type WLAN client station (QAP) (102) and a BLUETOOTH piconet unit (104) interconnected such that the BLUETOOTH transmissions are scheduled to occur according to a transmission opportunity (TXOP) (126) that was granted by a quality of service (QoS) access point (QAP) (116) in a basic service set (BSS) (112). Requests for BLUETOOTH traffic are handled by the associated QSTA (102) which generates an add traffic service (ADDTS) (124) to the QAP.

Abstract: A multi-modular terminal device enables simultaneous communications over multiple wireless networks. The terminal device includes a cellular module and a Mobile TV module. The cellular module includes a dual-band transceiver, a first duplexer for duplexing receive and transmit signals in a first band, a filter for filtering receive signals in a second band, a dual-band power amplifier for amplifying transmit signals in the first band and the second band, and at least one first antenna for communicating signals in the first band and the second band of the first module. The Mobile TV module includes a Mobile TV receiver for receiving receive signals in a Mobile TV band and a second antenna for communicating signals in the Mobile TV band. The first duplexer reduces inter-module interference in the Mobile TV band caused by at least the transmit signals of the first band.

Abstract: A universal memory device is presented that provides adaptability to existing hardware and software environments. The memory can “mimic” existing memory technology combining the advantages of integrating all memory capacity into one single technology and still providing the implicit protections and access characteristics known from the different existing memory technologies.