Abstract: A circuit device connected between a neighboring pair of terminals in a semiconductor integrated circuit is protected from electrostatic damage due to a surge voltage when the surge voltage is applied between the neighboring pair of terminals. The semiconductor integrated circuit is formed to include terminals P0-P14, MOS transistors MN0-MN15 in diode connection, protection diode circuits HD0-HD14, MOS transistors T1-T14 for discharging electricity from batteries, a battery voltage detection control circuit and a clamp circuit for overvoltage protection. Each of the MOS transistors T1-T14 for discharging electricity from the batteries is connected between each neighboring pair of the terminals P0-P14 through wirings. Each of the MOS transistors MN1-MN14 in diode connection is connected between each neighboring pair of the terminals.

Abstract: A method of measuring signals related to a photodiode based sensor and calculating a corrected data value thereof is disclosed. A nominal reset voltage value of the photodiode may be measured. A knee point voltage may be applied to the photodiode and resets a voltage on the photodiode to the knee point voltage when the voltage on the photodiode falls below the knee point voltage. Applying the knee point voltage may extend the dynamic range of the sensor. An output voltage of the photodiode at end of an integration time of the photodiode may be measured. The knee point voltage may be applied again after the end of the integration time. A voltage value of the photodiode of the knee point voltage may be measured. The nominal reset voltage value, the output voltage of a sensor and the knee point voltage may be reported to calculate the corrected data value.

Abstract: A noise level of an output signal is maintained low. An adjacent interference detecting unit compares a signal level of a wide band signal which is a desired station signal of a relatively wide band and a signal level of a narrow band signal which is a desired station signal of a relatively narrow band, and judges that adjacent interference has occurred when the signal level of the narrow band signal is less than or equal to a predetermined level even though the signal level of the wide band signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined level. A variable amplifier (36) attenuates an L?R signal and forms a monophonic signal when the signal level of the narrow band signal is lower than a predetermined level. With this process, when there is adjacent interference, a signal level of the narrow band signal at which the attenuating unit starts attenuating the L?R signal is changed to a relatively high value.

Abstract: A motor-driving circuit includes: a plurality of output transistors; a first-comparator circuit to compare a voltage of each phase of driving coils of a plurality of phases in a motor, with a neutral-point voltage; a position-detecting circuit to detect a rotor position of the motor based on a comparison result of the first-comparator circuit; a switching-control circuit to supply switching signals to the plurality of output transistors according to the rotor position; and a current-limiting circuit to limit the driving currents to a first-current value so that the motor rotates at a target-rotation speed when the current-limiting circuit determines that the motor is rotating at a speed higher than or equal to a predetermined-reference-rotation speed, and limit the driving currents to a second-current value smaller than the first-current value when the current-limiting circuit determines that the motor is not rotating at the speed higher than or equal to the predetermined-reference-rotation speed.

Abstract: With a serial interface memory device of this invention, a read-out rate of data is increased, while an increase in a size of a circuit is suppressed. An EEPROM is provided with a memory cell array storing data, a row address decoder and a column address decoder that select an address of the memory cell array in accordance with an address signal serially inputted in synchronization with a clock, sense amplifiers SA0-SA5, SA_M0 and SA_M1 each provided corresponding to each bit of the data, and a shift register that outputs the data read out from the sense amplifiers serially from a first bit. The column address decoder commences reading out two candidate data for the first bit by inputting each of the two candidate data to each of the two sense amplifiers SA_M0 and SA_M1, respectively, before all bits of the column address signal are established.

Abstract: To efficiently obtain two outputs including one at a normal level and the other at an excessive level. An input signal input to the negative input terminal of an operational amplifier (14) having a negative feedback path is amplified to output an output signal. Signal combining units (18, 20, 22) are provided for adding in a weighted manner a negative input terminal side signal obtained by combining the input signal input to the negative input terminal of the operational amplifier (14) and a feedback signal from the negative feedback path and the output signal from the operational amplifier to output a combined signal, so that two signals, namely the output signal from the operational amplifier (14) and the combined signal, are obtained.

Abstract: The invention provides a current detection circuit for a transistor, that does not influence a current flowing through the transistor, and minimizes a power loss, an increase of the pattern area and so on. A current detection circuit includes a wiring connected to a MOS transistor and forming a current path of a current of the MOS transistor, a current detection MOS transistor of which the gate is connected to the wiring, that flows a current corresponding to the potential of the gate, and a current detector detecting a current flowing through the current detection MOS transistor. The current detection circuit is configured including a load resistor connected to the current detection MOS transistor and a voltage detection circuit detecting a drain voltage of the current detection MOS transistor.

Abstract: A switching-control circuit to control switching of a transistor whose input electrode is applied with an input voltage, and turn off the transistor, when an output current from the transistor is greater than a reference current, includes: a reference-voltage-generating circuit to generate such a first-reference voltage that the reference current is reduced with reduction in an output voltage; a comparing circuit to compare a voltage corresponding to the output current with the first-reference voltage; and a driving circuit to turn on/off the transistor based on a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage and a second reference voltage corresponding to a target level so that the output voltage reaches the target level, when the comparing circuit determines that the output current is smaller than the reference current, and turn off the transistor when the comparing circuit determines that the output current is greater than the reference current.

Abstract: Systems and methods of pixel sensing circuits. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a pixel sensing circuit includes a floating diffusion functionally coupled to and surrounded by a ring transfer gate. The ring transfer gate is functionally coupled to and surrounded by a photo diode. The photo diode may be surrounded by a region of poly silicon. The disclosed structure provides radiation hardening and low light performance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing correlated double sampling to remove low frequency noise. The method and apparatus includes an active pixel of an array of active pixels comprising a sensor circuit for collecting radiation induced charges and transducing them to a measurement signal corresponding to the amount of charge collected, two memory elements for storing the measurement signal at the beginning and the end of a first integration period respectively, and at least one further memory element for storing at least the measurement signal at the beginning of a next integration period.

Abstract: An ASIC or ASSP has processor circuitry (110), a predetermined initialization program (100) for execution by the processor circuitry at power up, and a non-volatile key table (120) readable by the initialization program, and not accessible otherwise by the processor circuitry. The initialization program reads a key index associated with encrypted data, from external memory, and uses the key index to read a corresponding key from the table, to decrypt the encrypted data for use by the processor circuitry. Optionally another key is first decrypted and used for the decryption of the encrypted data. By keeping the key on board the chip and restricting access in this way, the key and therefore the encrypted data can be protected from software based reverse engineering. This means the encrypted data can cheaper memory chips or other storage. Thus the processor circuitry can be formed on a smaller integrated circuit.

Abstract: Described herein are methods that may improve yield of an image sensor. In one embodiment, a method that may improve yield of an image sensor includes generating output values of control logic associated with an array of light sensitive elements. The method further may include determining if the control logic has one or more faulty output values. The method further may include automatically correcting the one or more faulty output values.

Abstract: A flicker detection method of an image sensing device is disclosed. The image sensing device includes a sensor and a processor. The method comprises steps of: consequently detecting multiple frames according to a frame rate, wherein each of the multiple frames includes a light signal; generating a light intensity information based on the light signals; determining a sampling window according to a predetermined detection frequency and the frame rate; dividing the light intensity information into multiple light intensity groups according to the sampling window; distinguishing a feature of each light intensity group, and recording an index position of each feature of the light intensity groups; calculating, individually, a difference between the index positions of the adjacent light intensity groups; and determining whether the differences are patterned, in order to determine whether the light intensity information corresponds to a flicker.

Abstract: An image motion sensing method applicable for an image sensing device includes the steps of capturing a plurality of sensing frames, each sensing frame including image position information of an image; selecting a base frame from the sensing frames and a sampling frame disposed after the base frame; comparing image position information of images in the base frame and the sampling frame within a base comparison range of the base frame and a sampling comparison range of the sampling frame to generate displacement information; determining a comparison range size according to the displacement information; updating sampling comparison range according to the comparison range size; selecting a sensing frame after the sampling frame as an updated sampling frame; updating the base comparison range of the base frame according to the comparison range size; and returning to the foregoing step of comparing the image position information.

Abstract: A method for real-time adjusting image capture frequency by an image detection apparatus comprises: sensing the frames consecutively by an image detection unit; setting a value for a counting variable; selecting a testing frame from the frames and comparing an image displacement between the testing frame and a previous frame thereof, to obtain a motion reference signal by a processing unit; providing a plurality of adjustable values for a capturing frequency variable by a memory unit and corresponding either one of the capturing frequency variable values to the motion reference signal; comparing the value of the counting variable to that of the capturing frequency variable by the processing unit; capturing and recording the testing frame as a sampling frame while the counting variable value reaches that of the capturing frequency variable; comparing an image displacement between the sampling frame and a previous frame thereof, to obtain an ultimate motion speed.

Abstract: In a listening device such as for example a hearing aid (1) where an input signal (10) is received by a microphone (2), converted from analog to digital (3), digitally processed (4) including a conversion from a time domain into a frequency domain, converted from digital to analog (5) and transmitted to a user by means of a loudspeaker (6), the internal digital processing (4) generates an unwanted noise signal, the so called undesired periodic noise (12), at specific frequencies. The undesired periodic noise is coupled via ground and the battery (7) into the signal processing path. According to the invention, the undesired periodic noise is filtered out of the input signal (10.2) during the digital signal processing (4), after the conversion of the digital signal into the frequency domain.

Abstract: A method for applying spread spectrum noise reduction techniques to USB specifically USB2.0 communications systems includes the step of generating a base (seed) frequency for the USB system, modulating the base (seed) frequency with a spread spectrum (SS) characteristic, and utilizing (as-is, not modified) the existing ASIC that multiplying the now modulated base (seed) frequency to generate the USB standard frequency signaling rate of 480 MHz with the SS characteristic within the USB standard specification for frequency deviation.

Abstract: A method and system for processing of physiological signals is provided. The system processes information signals in subband-domain associated with the physiological signals in time-domain. The information signals are obtained by one or more over-sampled filterbanks. The method and system possibly synthesizes the subband signals obtained by subband processing. The method and system may implement the analysis, subband processing, and synthesis algorithms on over-sampled filterbanks, which are implemented on ultra low-power, small size, and low-cost platform in real-time. The method and system may use over-sampled, Weighted-Overlap Add (WOLA) filterbanks.

Abstract: The invention deals with a controlling device (22) for an electrical device such as for example a hearing aid (20). The hearing aid (20) includes a power supply (23) and a functional unit (21) controlled by the controlling device (22) via a reset signal (2). In order to reduce undesired behavior of the hearing aid in case of transients, brown-out or other oscillations of the input voltage (1), the controlling device (22) is built such that the functional unit (21) is resetted as long as the rising supply voltage (1) is lower than a startup threshold. Once the functional unit (21) is enabled, it remains enabled as long as the supply voltage (1) does not fall below a shutdown threshold where the shutdown threshold voltage is lower than the startup threshold voltage. This hysteresis is implemented via a reference generator (24) generating a constant reference voltage (27) and a modifiable voltage divider (28) which generates different output voltages (1.1) in dependency of the output of the comparator (25).

Abstract: An electrical circuit testing assembly that includes a mechanical reference that is relatively stationary as compared to a circuit under test. A probe support assembly is coupled to the mechanical reference and includes probes for contacting interconnect pads on the circuit under test. Optionally, the probe support structure is attached to the mechanical reference via a column that is thermally resistive. Also optionally, a testing circuitry support structure (e.g., a printed circuit board) is not rigidly attached to the mechanical reference or to the probe support structure, thereby permitting the testing circuitry support structure to float with respect to the probe support structure.