Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics (Research& Development)
  • Patent number: 8593320
    Abstract: A method of converting a periodic pulse width modulated input signal into a voltage output signal wherein the input signal is in an active state for a first portion of each of successive time periods and in an inactive state for a second portion of each time period. A first and second input is supplied to an integrator circuit and a first capacitor is coupled between a first output of the integrator circuit and the first input and a second capacitor is coupled between a second output and the second input of the integrator circuit during a first time period of the pulse width modulated signal. A third capacitor is coupled between a first output of the integrator circuit and the first input and a fourth capacitor is coupled between a second output of the integrator circuit and the second input during a successive second time period of the pulse width modulated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Saul Darzy
  • Patent number: 8587673
    Abstract: A method of motion compensation in a camera may include deriving a motion signal representative of a motion of the camera, processing video frames of a video signal from an image sensor of the camera during a viewfinder mode to derive motion vectors between pairs of frames, and processing the motion signal with a number of combinations of gain and offset factors during the viewfinder mode. The method may also include determining combinations for producing threshold motion vectors, and applying the combination producing the threshold motion vectors for processing the motion signal during a still capture mode to produce a control signal for a motion compensating element for optics of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Stuart McLeod
  • Patent number: 8564695
    Abstract: Repeated Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN) in solid state image sensors for a digitally encoded image captured with a sensor is corrected by exploits the periodicity of FPN pattern. In this way FPN is compensated by using a repeating pattern that is associated with repeating blocks of layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: John Kevin Moore
  • Publication number: 20130271649
    Abstract: A camera module has a lens module mounted on a substrate. The image sensor is located in a cavity in the substrate and is connected to the substrate by a bridge member, the infra-red filter. The image sensor is attached to the infra-red filter by a ring of adhesive surrounding the imaging area of the image sensor. The adhesive attaching the image sensor to the infra-red filter comprises spacers. The infra-red filter is attached to the substrate by adhesive. The cavity may extend through the substrate. The image sensor is further connected to the substrate by a sheet member, which may be made of metal. The sheet member is affixed to the bottom of the substrate and covers the hole in the substrate formed by the extension of the cavity through the substrate. A method of assembly of the camera module includes: providing a substrate with a cavity; locating the image sensor in the cavity; connecting the infra-red filter to the image sensor and the substrate; and mounting the lens module on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
  • Patent number: 8552379
    Abstract: A radiation sensor includes first and second pixels with a radiation absorption filter positioned over the first pixel and an interference filter positioned over both the first and second pixels. The combined spectral response of the absorption filter and the first pixel has a first pixel pass-band and a first pixel stop-band. The interference filter has a first interference filter pass-band substantially within the first pixel pass-band and a second interference filter pass-band substantially within the first pixel stop-band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Ewan Findlay
  • Patent number: 8552482
    Abstract: A CMOS single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) design uses conventional, or at least known, CMOS processes to produce a device having a breakdown region in which the main p-n junction is formed of a deep n-well layer, and optionally on the other side, a p-add layer. The SPAD may also have a guard ring region which comprises the p-epi layer without any implant. The SPAD may have curved or circular perimeters. A CMOS chip comprises SPADs as described and other NMOS devices all sharing the same deep n-well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventors: Robert K. Henderson, Justin Richardson
  • Patent number: 8525789
    Abstract: An optical navigation device includes an optical transmission element, operable in use to transmit light from an illumination source to a sensor via a mousing surface, and a housing unit. The optical transmission element may have an alignment shaft. Ideally the optical transmission element and housing unit are assembled to a substrate by snap-fit. The alignment shaft ensures that the optics are properly aligned to the substrate and the light source and sensor thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Ltd
    Inventors: Ewan Findlay, Douglas Stuart Brodie
  • Patent number: 8521937
    Abstract: A package includes a die and at least one further die. The die has an interface configured to receive a transaction request from the further die via an interconnect and to transmit a response to the transaction request to said further die via the interconnect. The die also has mapping circuitry which is configured to receive the transaction request including at least first source identity information, wherein the first source identity information is associated with a source of the transaction request on the further die. The mapping circuitry is configured to modify the transaction request to replace the first source identity information with local source identity information, wherein that local source identity information is associated with the mapping circuitry. The mapping circuitry is configured to modify the received transaction request to provide said first source identity information in a further field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Ltd
    Inventors: Ignazio Antonino Urzi, Philippe D'Audigier, Olivier Sauvage, Stuart Ryan, Andrew Michael Jones
  • Publication number: 20130194482
    Abstract: An image sensor is formed by a pixel array and a microlens array. One microlens is associated with each pixel. The microlens is positioned in a manner that is offset from a center of its associated pixel. The positioning offset for the microlens is a combination of a first offset determined as a function of the pixel's position relative to a center of the image sensor and a second offset that is randomly selected (both in terms of distance and radial direction). The random offset provides the effect that the spatial frequency information from the shifted microlens array is randomly distributed so as to provide different spatial frequencies and effectively cancel out Moiré interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
  • Publication number: 20130195235
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first clock source, a second clock source and circuitry configured to supply a clock signal to a circuit. The circuitry operates to change the clock signal from one frequency to another different frequency. This change is made in a manner whereby no clock signal is supplied during a period of time when the change from the one frequency to the another different clock frequency is being made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limted
    Inventors: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited, STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
  • Publication number: 20130182164
    Abstract: An image sensor includes an analog-to-digital converter receiving a pixel signal output. The converter includes a first inverting amplifier circuit having an input and an output, the first inverting amplifier circuit including a first bias circuit having a control node and configured to source current for first inverting amplifier circuit operation. The converter further includes a second inverting amplifier circuit having an input and an output, the second inverting amplifier circuit including a second bias circuit having a control node and configured to source current for second inverting amplifier circuit operation. The output of the first inverting amplifier circuit is coupled to the input of the second inverting amplifier circuit. A positive feedback circuit couples the output of the second inverting amplifier circuit to the control node of the first bias circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
  • Patent number: 8489978
    Abstract: A system and a method detects errors when writing data to a memory in a computer system. An error detection memory write request for writing an error detection value to a memory location within the memory section is issued, the error detection value being associated with the block of data. A data memory write request for writing the block of data to the memory section is issued such that at least part of the block of data is written to the memory location. A check is performed to determine whether the error detection value in the error detection memory write request corresponds to the block of data in the data memory write request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: David Smith
  • Publication number: 20130166890
    Abstract: An arrangement of at least two arithmetic logic units carries out an operation defined by a decoded instruction including at least one operand and more than one operation code. The operation codes and at least one operand are received and corresponding executions are performed by the arithmetic logic units on a single clock cycle. The result of the execution from one arithmetic logic unit is used as an operand by a further arithmetic logic unit. The decoding of the instruction is performed in an immediately preceding single clock cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
  • Publication number: 20130155302
    Abstract: A digital imaging sensor includes an array of pixels. A subset of the pixels in the array has reduced photosensitivity in comparison to other pixels in said array. A controller operates to control an integration time of the array of pixels such that a first integration time of the subset of pixels is longer than a second integration time of the other pixels in the array. Such an image sensor is particularly useful for sensing light sources that are not illuminated continuously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Li
  • Patent number: 8462235
    Abstract: A method and system is for limiting the x-droop effect in the digital image captured with solid state image sensors with a correction mechanism which instead of using only correction values from the same column to which the correction is applied, also takes the neighboring pixels into account to provide an averaged value to aid in the reduction of temporal and fixed noise contributions associated with the readout of a single pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: John Kevin Moore
  • Patent number: 8462139
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sensor apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels, a digital to analog converter for providing a ramp signal, A comparator for comparing the output level of each pixel to said ramp signal, and memory for storing the digital value that corresponds to said output level for each pixel, the sensor apparatus thereby converting the analog output level of each pixel to a digital value. The apparatus operates by providing an analog output that is sourced from the digital to analog converter used to provide said ramp signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Raynor
  • Patent number: 8461530
    Abstract: A sensor array microchip apparatus includes a substrate and a lens positioned over the substrate. A plurality of radiation sensor elements are formed on the substrate in an array format and spatially separated from each other. The substrate further includes power supply circuitry (generating power for the radiation sensor elements) and processing circuitry (operable to control and process information from the radiation sensor elements). The power supply circuitry and said processing circuitry are positioned on the substrate within the array between two or more of the radiation sensor elements. The lens, in combination with the spatial separation of the radiation sensor elements in the array format, defines a relatively wide (30-80 degrees) field of regard for the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Ltd
    Inventors: Ewan Findlay, Sara Pellegrini
  • Patent number: 8461533
    Abstract: A radiation sensor includes first and second pixels with a radiation absorption filter positioned over the first pixel and an interference filter positioned over both the first and second pixels. The combined spectral response of the absorption filter and the first pixel has a first pixel pass-band and a first pixel stop-band. The spectral response of the interference filter has an interference filter pass-band which is substantially within the first pixel pass-band for radiation incident on the interference filter at a first angle of incidence, and substantially within the first pixel stop-band for radiation incident on the interference filter at a second angle of incidence greater than the first angle of incidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Ltd
    Inventor: Ewan Findlay
  • Patent number: 8456623
    Abstract: An optical component focus testing apparatus includes a plurality of test pattern displays. One or more illuminators are configured to selectively illuminate different test pattern displays at different times. Light directors are provided to direct light from at least one of the illuminated test pattern displays towards an optical component under test. The light directors and test pattern displays are arranged such that, in use, light directed from different illuminated test pattern displays travel different distances to reach the optical component under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Ltd.
    Inventors: Colin McGarry, Gilles Dufaure De Lajarte
  • Patent number: 8436908
    Abstract: An optical image stabilization (OIS) system may be used in a camera having an optical system which includes a motion compensating optical element driven by an actuator. The system may include a motion sensor providing a motion signal, a frequency detector for detecting a dominant frequency being that frequency within the motion signal which may produce the most significant motion blurring in the image produced by the camera, and a tunable high-pass filter for filtering the motion signal and supplying the filtered motion signal as an actuator control signal. The tunable high pass filter may be tuned based upon the dominant frequency to a filter characteristic which provides a phase lead substantially canceling a phase lag of the actuator at that frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventors: Stuart McLeod, Ewan Findlay