Abstract: A device to be positioned between a heat source and a heat sink may transform infrared electromagnetic (IR-EM) energy exchanged therebetween from a first form to a second form. The device may include a pair of layers facing each other and having dielectric material with molecular excitability characteristics to produce the second form of IR-EM energy. The pair of layers may define a gap therebetween. The device may include a conversion circuit configured to convert the second form of IR-EM energy into electrical energy.

Abstract: An optical device for use in an apparatus wherein the optical device is configured for use in a navigation mode and a fingerprint detection mode. By having the capability to operate in two modes, the optical device provides a cost effective approach for navigation and security. Using the same sensor for both functions reduces cost and space requirements, while satisfying functional objectives.

Abstract: An electronic package that includes a composite material base. In one embodiment the electronic package is an expanded wafer-level package. The composite material base is composed of woven strands and polymer material. In one embodiment the composite material base is composed of woven fiberglass strands and an epoxy material. In various embodiments the package includes an electronic circuitry layer on one or another face of the composite material base. In other embodiments conductive vias connect the circuitry layers, including a redistribution layer. In yet another embodiment an electronic package is mounted on the composite material base and electrically couples to the circuit of the expanded wafer-level package. The package having the composite material base is mechanically stronger and can be made thinner than a package that relies on an encapsulant material for structure, and resists cracking.

Abstract: A battery includes a battery module that includes a plurality of submodules electrically connected in series. Each submodule comprises first and second submodule terminals and a cell. At least one submodule in each battery module is a switchable submodule comprising a submodule switching circuit. The submodule switching circuit is switchable between a first state and a second state. The submodule switching circuit electrically connects the cell of the switchable submodule between the first and second submodule terminals when the submodule switching circuit is in the first state. The submodule switching circuit provides an electrical bypass connection between the first and second submodule terminals and the cell of the switchable submodule is electrically disconnected from at least one of the first and second submodule terminals when the switching circuit is in the second state. The battery further comprises a control unit for operating the switching circuit of each module.

Abstract: A sigma-delta converter may include an input node, a switched capacitor input stage integrating a difference signal between an input signal from the input node and a feedback signal representing an output signal, and a switched capacitor adder coupled downstream from the switched capacitor input stage and generating a sum signal based upon the input signal with a signal generated by the switched capacitor input stage. The sigma-delta converter may include a switched capacitor output stage amplifying the sum signal and generating an analog amplified signal, a quantization stage coupled in cascade to the switched capacitor output stage and generating the output signal as a digital replica of the analog amplified signal, and a circuit generating the feedback signal as an analog replica of the output signal.

Abstract: A memory base cell stores a bit of information implemented from a regular and compact structure made up of multiple identical and replicated base elements, on the “sea of gates” Model, in which the base element of the structure is a cell able to be configured with a minimum width in relation to the particular technology used. Such a cell includes a bistable element with an input node operatively connected to a writing data line of the memory base cell, and an output node operatively connected to a reading data line of the memory base cell. The bistable element also has a first inverter and a second inverter arranged in a feedback configuration with respect to one another between the input node and the output node of the bistable element.

Abstract: An embodiment of a transaction reordering arrangement is provided. The transaction reordering arrangement includes a queue into which respective responses to requests are writable and a controller configured to control a position in said queue to which said respective responses to said requests are written. The position is controlled such that the responses are read out of said queue in an order which corresponds to an order in which the requests are issued.

Abstract: An embodiment concerns the field of real-time location systems (RTLS) based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) measurements. An embodiment is based on determining the distances between wireless device of a network based on a model that describes the relation of the RSSI value relative to the packet exchanged between nodes as a function of the distance, wherein said model depends on at least one characteristic parameter of the transmission channel and wherein at least said characteristic parameter of the transmission channel is determined periodically and automatically, exploiting the known distances among fixed nodes. In this way, the errors relative to possible time-variability of the transmission channel are reduced and the accuracy and stability of the location measurements are increased.

Abstract: An embodiment of an integrated circuit design framework comprises a user interface which automatically initializes a three-dimensional simulation tool for simulating or analyzing the characteristics of a complex metallization system. In some illustrative embodiments the user interface may additionally provide electrically simulated parameter values for an input parameter, such as the channel resistance of a power transistor, thereby enabling a simulation of a portion of interest of the metallization system without actually requiring the provision of the design data of the power transistor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing noise in a communication signal is provided. The method includes converting raw channel data from the communication signal to a sequence of transition code symbols, each symbol having a plurality of bits, each bit having a position within the symbol. The method also includes sending the bits of each symbol to a plurality of bins, each bin corresponding to the position of each bit within the symbol. For each bin having a number of transitions greater than a number of non-transitions, the method also includes flipping every bit in the bin and setting a corresponding bit in a flip control word to a first value. The method still further includes binary adding the flip control word to each transition code symbol.

Abstract: An embodiment of a disk drive power system is described. The system is operable such that during power interruption, the system taps electric power by rectifying the back-EMF generated across each winding of a DC motor and supplying power to a voice-coil motor to park a read/write head safely away from an associated magnetic disk surface.

Abstract: Described herein is an optically controlled electrical-switch device which includes a first current-conduction terminal and a second current-conduction terminal, and a carbon nanotube connected between the first and the second current-conduction terminals, the carbon nanotube being designed to be impinged upon by electromagnetic radiation and having an electrical conductivity that can be varied by varying the polarization of the electromagnetic radiation incident thereon. In particular, the carbon nanotube may for example, in given conditions of electrical biasing, present a high electrical conductivity when it is impinged upon by electromagnetic radiation having a given wavelength and a polarization substantially parallel to the axis of the carbon nanotube itself, and a reduced electrical conductivity when it is impinged upon by electromagnetic radiation having a given wavelength and a polarization substantially orthogonal to the axis of the carbon nanotube itself.

Abstract: A method for protecting an execution, by an integrated circuit, of a ciphering and/or deciphering algorithm taking into account data and at least one valid key and performing several iterations of the same calculation, including at least one execution of an iteration with the valid key between several executions of the same iteration with the invalid keys obtained by applying at least one non-linear one-way function to the valid key.

Abstract: A method realizes a thin film organic electronic device integrated on a substrate and includes an organic material layer and an organic thin film transistor or OTFT transistor. The method comprises: depositing the organic material layer on the substrate, the organic material layer being a conductive organic polymer; patterning by a soft-lithographic procedure the organic material layer to create a reduced portion in order to make a channel area of the OTFT transistor; masking the organic material layer by covering with a cover mask a source area and a drain area of the OTFT transistor; irradiating by ultraviolet radiation to deactivate exposed portions of the organic material layer defining the source area, the drain area and the channel area; depositing on the organic material layer a semiconductor layer; and creating on the semiconductor layer a gate area of the OTFT transistor.

Abstract: A device for producing energy for portable applications including at least one micro fuel cell and a microreactor, having a reaction chamber including a catalyst, for producing hydrogen gas to be fed to the micro fuel cell. The microreactor includes at least one substrate of a composite material for making printed circuits micromachined with printed circuit technology suitable for making the reaction chamber and having a semipermeable membrane on top of it. The substrate and the membrane are connected to the micro fuel cell to make a single body through a single pressure assembly step.

Abstract: Herein described is a control device of a device for the correction of the power factor in forced switching power supplies; said device for the correction of the power factor comprises a converter and said control device is coupled to the converter to obtain from an alternating input line voltage a regulated output voltage. The control device comprises generating means associated to a capacitor for generating a signal representative of the root-mean-square value of the alternating line voltage; the generating means are associated to means for discharging said capacitor. The control device comprises further means for discharging the capacitor suitable for discharging said capacitor when the signal representative of the root-mean-square value of the alternating line voltage goes below a given value.

Abstract: A motion estimation method and device are provided for processing images to be inserted, between a preceding original image and a following original image, into a sequence of determined images. Each image is divided into pixel blocks and a motion vector is associated with each block of a processed image. Motion vectors associated with respective blocks of the image are processed and motion vectors associated with respective blocks of a preceding processed image (spatial and temporal motion vectors) are selected with respect to a current block of an image being processed. Candidate motion vectors are generated from the motion vectors selected. One vector is elected from among the candidate vectors. Information associating the elected vector with the block is stored. A temporal motion vector is selected only if it satisfies a determined selection criterion based on the orientation of the motion vector.

Abstract: A method calculates statistical parameters in function of stochastic momentums of the pixel intensities of a same primary color or complementary hue of a first working window (2k+1)×(2k+1), and of at least a second working window of smaller size, both centered on the pixel to be filtered and in choosing, as a function of the values of these statistical parameters, for each pixel of the color image to be filtered, the most appropriate filtering algorithm for enhancing as much as possible the contour sharpness and reducing noise and artifacts.

Abstract: A balanced differential amplifier sense amplifier senses the voltage level in a selected single bit line memory cell. The output of the selected single bit-line memory cell is connected to one input of the balanced differential sense amplifier while the other input receives a reference voltage provided by a corresponding single bit-line memory cell from a complementary memory bank. A supporting voltage is added-to/subtracted-from the reference voltage by providing a “bump” or “dip” mechanism or by utilizing a charge-sharing structure, in order to compensate for the variation in the sensed bit-line voltage over the duration of the sensing interval as well as for the disparity in voltage level from cell to cell.

Abstract: A motion analysis is applied to a signal to identify high-motion regions and low-motion regions. An analysis of low-level characteristics of the signal, such as a skin tone or contrast analysis, is used to generate a map of regions with low-level characteristics. The map is filtered to identify regions having both low-level characteristics and low motion. Based on a comparison of the area of the regions having both low-level characteristics and low motion to a threshold, regions of interest are identified. If the area is greater than the threshold, the regions of interest are identified as a function of the high-motion regions and of the regions that have both low-level characteristics and low motion. Otherwise, the regions of interest are identified as a function of the high-motion regions and of regions identified using face detection.