Abstract: A lens unit includes a lens barrel for receiving at least one lens and a motor arranged to displace the lens barrel between various positions. Displacement of the lens barrel is proportional to an electrical signal applied to the motor. A first conductor is fixed to the lens barrel and is arranged to make electrical contact with a second conductor when the lens barrel is at an initial position. A processor is arranged to detect a change in the electrical contact, to determine an electrical signal at the time of the change and to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the desired displacement.

Abstract: A method processes defects in a radio frequency transmission subsystem due to elements therein. The defects may include mismatch between two channels in phase quadrature in the transmission subsystem and a transposition signal leaking from a first frequency transposition stage of the transmission subsystem. The method may include calibration processing including estimating compensation parameters representative of the defects. The estimating may include delivering, into the transmission subsystem upstream of the elements creating the defects, a reference signal having a reference frequency, obtaining, downstream of the first transposition stage, of a resultant reference signal, and obtaining, from the resultant reference signal, of an approximate value for each compensation parameter. The method also may include compensating for the defects by injecting the approximate values into the transmission subsystem.

Abstract: An amplifier having an output stage with a complementary pair of first and second transistors each coupled to an output node of the amplifier; control circuitry arranged to provide a control signal at a control node of the first transistor based on the voltage at an input node of the amplifier; and adjustment circuitry arranged to adjust the control signal to maintain the current through the first transistor above a minimum value.

Abstract: A method may compensate for direct current (DC) offset in a radio frequency reception device. The method may include partitioning an analog portion of the reception device into a plurality of zones, for each zone, calibrating initial DC offset compensation to be applied within an operating range of a respective zone, the operating range of the other zones being limited to a threshold operating range, and determining DC offset compensation to be applied to the reception device throughout the operating range based on the basic DC offset compensations.

Abstract: A method may compensate for direct current (DC) offset in a radio frequency reception device. The method may include partitioning an analog portion of the reception device into a plurality of zones, for each zone, calibrating initial DC offset compensation to be applied within an operating range of a respective zone, the operating range of the other zones being limited to a threshold operating range, and determining DC offset compensation to be applied to the reception device throughout the operating range based on the basic DC offset compensations.

Abstract: A method of compressing at least a part of a digital image comprises the steps of: dividing said digital image into groups of pixels; assigning a first information to each group of pixels wherein said first information indicates at least two reference colors selected for said group of pixels and, for each pixel in said group of pixels, which reference color or combination thereof is selected; assigning a second information to each group of pixels indicating a mode of compression used for said group of pixels; said first information indicating at least a third color for at least one of said groups of pixels.

Abstract: An amplifier having at least one switch controlled by an output voltage of a hysteresis block, wherein the hysteresis block is adapted to receive an input voltage signal based on an integration of an error signal, a low threshold voltage and a high threshold voltage, and is arranged to change the output voltage from a first value to a second value when the input voltage signal is higher than the high threshold voltage and to change the output voltage from the second value to the first value when the input voltage signal is lower than the low threshold voltage, and wherein the low threshold voltage is equal to Vref??VDD and the high threshold voltage is equal to Vref+?VDD, where Vref is a common mode voltage level, ? is a non-zero constant, and VDD is a power supply voltage.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor channel region and a gate region, wherein the gate region includes at least one buried part extending under the channel region. The buried part of the gate region is formed from a cavity under the channel region. The cavity is filled with a first material. An opening is made to access the first material. In one implementation, aluminum is deposited in the opening in contact with the first material. An anneal is performed to cause the aluminum to be substituted for the first material in the cavity. In another implementation, a second material different from the first material is deposited in the opening. An anneal is performed to cause an alloy of the first and second materials to be formed in the cavity.

Abstract: A method for transmitting data in packets between a first circuit element and a second circuit element includes sending the data by the first circuit element followed by a reception and a storage of the data by the second circuit element. A data transmission flow control operation detects an event signaling an imminent state of congestion of the data stored by the second circuit element. In response thereto, the control operation stops the sending of the data from the first circuit element to the second circuit element until a delay period expires and the event is no longer detected.

Abstract: This method for transferring data through a network on chip (NoC) between a first electronic device and a second electronic device, comprising: retrieving from the first device request packets comprising request control data for controlling data transfer and actual request data to be transferred; storing said request control and data to be transferred in memory means provided in an network interface (NI); and elaborating data packets to be transferred to the second device through said network, said data packets comprising a header and a payload elaborated from said control data and said actual data, respectively; The control data and the actual data to be transferred are stored in separate first and second memory means.

Abstract: A method for fabricating electrical bonding pads on one face of a wafer includes the production of electrically conductive areas and electrical connection branches connecting these conductive areas. A layer of mask material is deposited and openings are produced in this mask layer which extend above said conductive areas and at least some of which extend at least partly beyond the peripheral edges of the underlying conductive areas. Blocks made of a solder material are produces in the openings by electrodeposition in a bath. The mask material is then removed along with the connection branches. The wafer is passed through or placed in an oven so as to shape, on the conductive areas, the blocks into substantially domed electrical bonding pads.

Abstract: According to this method for processing a digital video stream of colour images intended to be displayed on a matrix screen formed of macropixels having at least four subpixels each, the colour components of each image are transformed into an RGB format based on a polygonal representation of the colour components, and designed for the display of images using at least four colours by activating the four subpixels. The colour components of the image are adapted in the course of said transformation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for transferring a stream of at least one data packet between a first electronic device and second electronic device through a network-on-chip are disclosed. These systems and methods can comprise storing data packets in memory means provided in a network interface and transferring data packets from the memory means to the second electronic device. Packets can be transferred from the memory means after a quantity of packets is stored in the memory means, the quantity of packets being determined according to a value of a control parameter.

Abstract: A method of controlling a moving part of a voice coil motor to move from an first position to a second position, wherein the position of the moving part is controlled by the level of an electrical signal applied to a coil of the voice coil motor, a first level of the electrical signal corresponding to the first position, and a second level of the electrical signal corresponding to the second position, the method including: at a first time, changing the electrical signal from the first level to an intermediate level, the intermediate level being chosen such that a peak overshoot of the moving part corresponds to the second position; and at a second time calculated to correspond to a delay of half an oscillation period of the moving part after the first time, changing the electrical signal to the second level.

Abstract: A data protection device for an interconnect network on chip (NoC) includes a header encoder that receives input requests for generating network packets. The encoder routes the input requests to a destination address. An access control unit controls and allows access to the destination address. The access control unit uses a memory to store access rules for controlling access to the network as a function of the destination address and of a source of the input request.

Abstract: A lens unit including a lens barrel for receiving at least one lens, a motor arranged to displace the lens barrel between an initial position and a maximum displacement, wherein the displacement of a lens barrel is proportional to the level of an electrical signal applied to the motor when the electrical signal is between first and second levels, the first level corresponding to a level for starting movement of the lens barrel from the initial position and the second level corresponding to a level for bringing the lens barrel to the maximum displacement; a first conductor fixed to the lens barrel and arranged to make electrical contact with a second conductor when said lens barrel is at one of said initial position and said maximum displacement; and a processor arranged to detect a change in the contact situation between the first and second conductive surfaces, to determine one of said first and second levels based on level of the electrical signal at the time of the change and to generate, based on said det