Abstract: A digital system with an improved transaction ordering policy is disclosed. Individual occurrences of requests for access to common system resources specify whether or not the request is ordered. In some embodiments, the invention includes a memory that holds data, a controller, and at least two processors that generate requests to access the memory data. Each access request includes an indication of whether or not this request is to be performed in a sequential order among other access requests and, if so, an indication of the order. The controller receives the access requests from each processor, determines a performance order for the requests, and provides the access requests to the memory in the performance order. The performance order conforms to the specified order when the access requests so indicate.

Abstract: Consistent with one example embodiment, communications systems, using a serial data transfer bus having a serial data line and a clock line used to implement a communications protocol, incorporate programmable updating of slave device output banks sequentially or simultaneously. The communications system includes two or more slave devices and/or a slave device having two or more banks of output drivers. Each slave device receives serial data and provides a data word assembled from the serial data. A programmable register in each slave device is programmed, using the communications protocol, to select one or more slave device configurations. Each of the two or more slave devices and/or two or more banks of output drivers updates either sequentially, or in coordination with other of the two or more slave devices and/or two or more banks of output drivers, based on each slave devices configuration selected by its programmable register.

Abstract: A radio-frequency ??-modulator comprises a first mixer in the forward path for down-converting the signals in this forward path with a local oscillator frequency and a second mixer in the feedback path for up-converting the feedback signal with the same local oscillator frequency. Delays between the two mixing operations cause a loss of gain in the loop of the ??-modulator. An adjustable amplifier in the feedback path compensates for this loss of gain.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device (10) with a semiconductor body (1) comprising silicon is provided with an n-type doped semiconductor region (2) comprising silicon by means of an epitaxial deposition process, wherein the epitaxial deposition process of the n-type region is performed by positioning the semiconductor body (1) in an epitaxial reactor and introducing in the reactor a first gas stream comprising a carrier gas and further gas streams comprising a gaseous compound comprising silicon and a gaseous compound comprising an element from the fifth column of the periodic system of elements, while heating the semiconductor body (1) to a growth temperature (Tg) and using an inert gas as the carrier gas. According to the invention for the gaseous compound comprising silicon a mixture is chosen of a first gaseous silicon compound which is free of chlorine and a second gaseous silicon compound comprising chlorine.

Abstract: A portable device includes an active device (communication station) configuration for contactless communication with at least one external data carrier and a passive device (data carrier) configuration for contactless communication with at least one external communication station. A detection circuit is provided to detect the presence of an external data carrier and/or the presence of an external communication station in a communication zone of the internal active device configuration and/or the internal passive device configuration. An activation circuit is coupled to the detection circuit to enable one of the two configurations based on the detection result.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a phase-locked-loop (PLL) circuit and a method for controlling such a PLL circuit, wherein the frequency of an input reference signal and the frequency of a feedback signal derived from an output oscillation signal are divided by a predetermined rate to thereby reduce the frequency at a phase detection means (1) of the PLL circuit. The dividing step is inhibited in response to a detection of a phase-locked-state of the PLL circuit. Thus, after phase-lock has been achieved, extra reference dividers (6) added to decrease the comparison frequency are removed from the loop to thereby enable increase in the loop bandwidths and decrease in the dividing ratio within the loop.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electronic device is provided wherein an interconnect is made using 193 nm lithography. No deformation of the desired linewidth takes place in that during a plasma gas is used which dissociates in low-weight ions. The electronic device is particularly an integrated circuit.

Abstract: An acoustoelectric transducer comprising a laser source A and a light receiver H, wherein a soundfield S is provided by which the propagation velocity of the laser beam may be modulated according to the sound pressure while it traverses the soundfield S.

Abstract: A method and device for video stitching is presented. The invention determines one or more motion vectors indicative of changes in two consecutive images of a (video) sequence of images. It further determines a spatial correlation function by examining two images from two different videos obtained from adjacently placed cameras having an overlapping field of view and that are to be combined. The invention achieves a faster stitching of images by applying the correlation function for combining subsequent set/s of images, subject to a match value being in a predetermined range. The match-value is a value indicative of a change in the correlation function for the subsequent set of images that are to be combined. Said match value is determined according to sets of coordinate values which are indicative of an overlapping portion in the subsequent set of images that are to be combined and the correlation function. The sets of coordinate values are determined according to the motion vectors.

Abstract: A receiver (120) is configured to receive data over a communications link. A decapsulator (122) is coupled to the receiver and configured to create datagrams and erasure attributes associated with the datagrams. A decoder (124) is coupled to the decapsulator and configured to store the datagrams in a frame table and track the progression thereof to create codewords, the decoder storing the datagrams in table columns to create codewords in table rows, and configured to store the erasure attributes in an erasure table. A user interlace (126) is coupled to the decoder and configured to render images corresponding with the datagrams on the user interface. Advantages of the invention include improved signal reception and processing, and prolonged battery life in mobile wireless devices.

Abstract: In order to provide a magneto-resistive angle sensor (100) comprising a sensor device for detecting an angle (?) of an external magnetic field relative to a reference axis of the sensor device, which allows measurement of the angle (?) without the measurement result being affected by manufacturing errors, it is proposed that the sensor device comprises a flat AMR layer (14, 15) with one electrical contact (K0) for applying a current (I) and a plurality of electrical contacts (Ki) for measuring a flow of current through the AMR layer (14,15).

Abstract: Crystalline, single-phased layers of PbMg0.33 Nb0.6703 with relative dielectric constants of 1500 and more are prepared through the use of a precursor solution that comprises a macrocyclic complexing agent. This agent is added to the lead component in an organic solution. The resulting layer is part of a device which may further include semiconductor elements and resistors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a filter apparatus and method having a fixed aspect for providing a predetermined selectivity and having an adaptive aspect for determining the frequency response of said filter apparatus. The adaptive aspect is controlled to change the frequency response. Predetermined zero values of the filter characteristic are set to provide a predetermined filter selectivity; and at least one filter parameter is controlled to change pole values of the filter characteristic so as to provide frequency response adaptation. Thereby, the frequency response of the filter operation can change while the filter selectivity can be maintained. The filter apparatus is thus able to cope with advanced system requirements while keeping the complexity and power consumption low.

Abstract: In a circuit (2) for a communication partner appliance (1) designed for contactless communication having two activatable send modes (ABM, PBM), which send modes (ABM, PBM) differ from one another with regard to their energy requirement, a determination stage (15) is provided, which is designed to determine first energy source information (SI1), which first energy source information (SI1) is characteristic of at least one parameter of at least one energy source (11, 12) serving to supply the circuit with electrical energy, and a decision stage (26) is additionally provided, which is designed to form a decision result taking account of the first energy source information (SI1) determined with the determination stage (15), which decision result influences which send mode (ABM, PBM) is to be activated in the circuit (2) of the communication appliance (1).

Abstract: Techniques to reduce the transmission overheads in a communication system are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method described herein relates to the elimination of redundant padding to realize an integer number of FEC code-words during the FEC-encoding process of transmission as well as the reduction/elimination of redundant padding to realize an integer number of transmission symbols during the subcarrier modulation mapping process of transmitting OFDM/ACMT/DMT symbols. The techniques are described in the context of a communication system based on the MoCA specification. Furthermore, techniques for channel-profiling, channel-estimation and bandwidth request/grant signaling that facilitate the realization of the method of reduction of transmission overheads in a MoCA system are also described.

Abstract: A programmable platform is provided that implements a video-processing algorithm that reduces halo artifacts. The algorithm corrects motion vectors of background motion in occlusion areas of a picture. The algorithm creates a re-timing vector from vector fields provided from a 3-frame motion estimator. The re-timing vector is produced by, first, selecting a number of candidate pairs of vectors from the different vector fields provided from the 3-frame motion estimator. Then, second, choosing one pair of candidate vectors based on an error metric. And, third, applying a linear or non-linear interpolation to obtain the required vector field. The re-timing vector provides a vector field for pixels between pictures n and n-\ such that halo about moving objects are minimized.

Abstract: A portable dual band receiver (D), intended for equipping a mobile equipment, comprises a first antenna (AN1), a second antenna (AN2), a two-states switching means (SW) connected to the first (AN1) and second (AN2) antennas and arranged to deliver either first signals comprised into a first band when it is set into a first state or second signals comprised into a second band when it is set into a second state, at least one low noise amplifier (A1, A2) arranged to amplify the signals delivered by the switching means (SW), a processing means (PM) arranged to process the signals outputted by the low noise amplifier(s) (A1,A2) either in a first mode or in a second mode, and a control means (CM) arranged, when the processing means (PM) works in the second mode, to determine which of the first (AN1) and second (AN2) antennas induces the best reception quality into the processing means (PM), and to set the switching means (SW) in the state which allows it to deliver the signals received by the antenna that it has de

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a microcontroller (24) including an embedded memory (42), waveform control circuitry (44) operatively coupled to the memory (42), several terminals (52), and a programmable processor (30). Processor (30) is responsive to execution of the first sequence of instructions to store a waveform bit pattern in memory (42) with a desired transmission timing. Waveform circuitry (44) is responsive to processor (30) to control transmission of the waveform bit pattern stored in memory (42) through one or more of the terminals (52) in accordance with the timing while processor (30) executes the second sequence of instructions to perform a different process.

Abstract: An IC package includes a leadframe-diepad (112) and a supply-reference comb (114) for interconnecting a die (110) and the package I/O pins (124) in a manner that facilitates substantially ideal EMC performance. The leadframe-diepad includes a diepad-finger (118) and an elongated portion. The leadframe-diepad and the diepad-finger are connected to ground-reference bondpads (128). The supply-reference comb has an elongated spine portion (120) and a finger that is arranged very close to and along the elongated portion of the leadframe-diepad and the diepad-finger respectively for facilitating electromagnetic coupling therebetween and for facilitating local tying of return currents. The supply-reference comb also has a plurality of fingers (116) extending outwardly from the elongated spine portion in a substantially common direction that provides sufficient space in between the fingers for the I/O pins.

Abstract: In an RFID system a method for communication between a reader (1) and a tag (2) comprises: at the reader (1), switching on an electromagnetic signal (SS) for energizing the RFID tag (2) and/or transmitting an instruction (INST, RNREQ) or first data (D1) to the tag (2); at the tag (2), generating a random number (RN), converting said random number (RN) into a random time period (tx) and transmitting a response to the reader (1) after a delay time that corresponds to the random time period (tx); at the reader (1), measuring the random time period between transmitting the instruction (INST, RNREQ) or first data (D1) to the tag (2), receiving the response (RESP) from the tag (2), reconverting the measured random time period (tx) into the random number (RN), encrypting second data (D2) with the random number (RN) and transmitting said encrypted data (ED) to the tag (2); at the tag (2), decrypting the encrypted data (ED) by the use of the random number (RN).