Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics (Research& Development)
  • APPLICATION USING A SINGLE PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODE (SPAD)
    Publication number: 20120133617
    Abstract: An control device may control an associated electronic device and parameter for the same. The control device may include a proximity detector. The proximity detector may include a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD). The proximity detector may be configured to control the electronic device and change the parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Kenneth DARGAN
  • PROXIMITY SENSOR
    Publication number: 20120132793
    Abstract: A proximity sensor includes a sensor package having an attachment pad with a radiation source and a radiation detector housed within the sensor package. The source and the detector are held in a fixed relation to the attachment pad, and are mounted by one of a direct or indirect attachment to the attachment pad. A portion of the attachment pad is adapted to form a baffle which forms at least part of an optical isolator. The optical isolator is adapted to substantially prevent the internal propagation of radiation between the source and the detector within the sensor package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventors: Colin Campbell, Ewan Findlay
  • APPLICATION USING A SINGLE PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODE (SPAD)
    Publication number: 20120132636
    Abstract: An oven may include a housing having a cooking receptacle configured to hold content therein, a heating element carried by the housing and configured to heat the content, and a proximity detector carried by the housing in the cooking receptacle and configured to detect surface movement of the content. The proximity detector may include at least one SPAD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: John Kevin MOORE
  • RADIATION SENSOR
    Publication number: 20120132809
    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: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Ewan Findlay
  • Proximity Sensor
    Publication number: 20120133956
    Abstract: The internal propagation of radiation between a radiation source and radiation detector mounted within a sensor package is prevented by the use of an optical isolator. The optical isolator is formed by the combination of a baffle mounted between the source and detector and a groove formed in an upper surface of the sensor package between the source and detector. A bottom of the groove is positioned adjacent to an upper edge of the baffle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED
    Inventors: Ewan Findlay, Colin Campbell, Gemma Ramsey, Eric Saugier
  • APPLICATION USING A SINGLE PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODE (SPAD)
    Publication number: 20120133955
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a housing having a mousing surface, and a navigation device carried by the housing and comprising a proximity detector. The proximity detector may include a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) configured to detect movement of an activator adjacent the mousing surface. For example, the proximity detector may detect movement along three axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: David Patrick BAXTER
  • RADIATION SENSOR
    Publication number: 20120133799
    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: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Ewan Findlay
  • Image stabilization method and apparatus
    Patent number: 8159541
    Abstract: An image stabilization apparatus includes accelerometers, a proximity sensor and a processor. Each accelerometer determines acceleration along an axis of a plane parallel to a focal plane of an image capture device. The accelerometers output respective acceleration data to the processor. The proximity sensor obtains a measurement of the distance between the focal plane of the image capture device and an object plane. The proximity sensor outputs distance data to the processor. The processor processes the distance data and the acceleration data to produce correction data to correct image data captured during motion of the image capture device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Stuart McLeod
  • NAVIGATION OF MOBILE DEVICES
    Publication number: 20120085820
    Abstract: A method is provided for navigation of a mobile device. Spatial information of at least one beacon detected in an image relative to the image is determined. The image includes an image of the at least one beacon within at least part of an environment surrounding the mobile device. A position of the mobile device based on said spatial information is determined using encoded visual information of the at least one beacon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limite
    Inventor: Michael Morgan
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACQUISITION OF SIGNALS
    Publication number: 20120087448
    Abstract: A system for processing a received signal having at least one code applied thereto, the received signal having a frequency, the system comprising: first correlator circuitry arranged to correlate the received signal with a first code to provide an output; second correlator circuitry arranged to correlate the received signal with a second code to provide an output, wherein the first code and the second code are different; and processor for processing together the outputs of the first and second correlator circuitry to cancel the frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LTD.
    Inventor: Philip Mattos
  • Addressing peripherals in an IC
    Patent number: 8151120
    Abstract: An integrated circuit, method of making an integrated circuit and method of addressing peripherals of an integrated circuit are disclosed for preventing copied software from running on unauthorized hardware. A permanent key is embedded in the integrated circuit and used to transform a peripheral access address output by a processor of the integrated circuit. The transformed access address is supplied to a peripheral address decoder f the integrated circuit, which allows the processor to access a corresponding peripheral. A method of supplying integrated circuits to prevent copied software from running on unauthorized hardware is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: STMIcroelectronics (Research & Development) Ltd.
    Inventor: Stephen Nick Haydock
  • MULTIMODE OPTICAL DEVICE AND ASSOCIATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20120075451
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Jeffrey M. RAYNOR
  • Analog-to-digital conversion in image sensors using a differential comparison
    Patent number: 8134623
    Abstract: An image sensor has a per-column ADC arrangement including first and second capacitors for correlated double sampling, and a comparator circuit. The capacitors are continuously connected to, respectively, the analog pixel signal and a ramp signal without use of a hold operation. The comparator circuit comprises a differential amplifier having one input connected to the junction of the two capacitors and another input connected to a reference signal. The reference signal is preferably sampled and held from a reference voltage. The use of a differential amplifier as first stage of the comparator addresses problems arising from ground voltage bounce when a large pixel array images a scene with low contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Ltd.
    Inventors: Matthew Purcell, Graeme Storm, Min Qu
  • Reference data encoding in image sensors
    Patent number: 8120689
    Abstract: Data is encoded on an image sensor that has a plurality of pixels including one or more bio-sensing pixels and one or more data encoding pixels. The method includes applying a covering material selectively to the data encoding pixels depending on the data to be encoded, the covering material having a detectable difference in opacity relative to having no covering material present. The method includes reading the data encoding pixels, in the presence of light, and decoding data according to a pre-determined scheme depending on the presence of the covering material on the data encoding pixel. As bio-reagents are typically applied after manufacture of the image sensor, the image sensor can have information encoded for electronic detection subsequent to manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventors: Jeffrey Raynor, Patrick Baxter
  • Image sensor power supply
    Patent number: 8120700
    Abstract: An image sensor may have a power supply voltage regulator controlled by a feedback loop. The feedback signal may be derived by applying the supply voltage at a point distant from the voltage regulator to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) which may be a spare channel of an ADC provided for the output of the pixel array. The digital feedback loop may be controlled via a chip I2C bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Justin Richardson
  • Image generator
    Patent number: 8115780
    Abstract: A system and method for generating an image on a display. The display includes a plurality of pixels from a vector description of a scene. The data is sampled from the vector description to provide data samples at locations defined in relation to the pixels. For example, the locations may include a first and second locations at the edges of the pixels, a third location at the corner of the pixels and a fourth location at the center of the pixels. The data samples are stored in a buffer and processed for each of the pixels to give an averaged data value. The image is then generated the image on the display by applying the averaged data value to each of the pixels. The calculation of the weighted averaged color value is repeated for each of the fragments in the buffer until all of the samples have been averaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventors: Simon Goda, Stephen Hill
  • AUTOFOCUS APPARATUS AND METHOD
    Publication number: 20120019676
    Abstract: In automatically focusing on a subject in the field of view of a camera device, the camera device sets a focal length successively at one or more focal positions with an angle of the focus plane tilted so as not to be orthogonal to a normal optical path through the camera device. An image is taken at each of the focal positions. A comparison of data from each image is made so as to determine best focus. This comparison includes comparing data from at least two different locations along the tilted focus plane of at least one of the images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: William Foote
  • AUTOMATIC CONTROL MODULE FOR ELECTRONIC APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20120019663
    Abstract: A module is configured to control an electronic device equipped with an optical receiver for wireless remote control. The module includes a face detection circuit that detects the presence of a face within an area proximate to the electronic device. An optical transmission circuit operates to transmit an optical control signal to the electronic device in response a detected change in face detection status made by the face detection circuit. To assist operation of the face detection circuit, the optical transmission circuit is further configured to illuminate an area proximate to the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Jeffrey Raynor
  • Locating satellites
    Patent number: 8102311
    Abstract: A system and method of locating the position of a satellite or a user using a satellite positioning system. The system and method includes receiving, at a terminal, satellite positioning data for at least one specified time period over a communications channel. In addition, the system includes storing, at the terminal, the satellite positioning data for the at least one specified time period. Responsive to an event at a later time, the system generally calculates, at the terminal, the satellite position at the later time based only on the satellite positioning data for the at least one specified time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Philip Mattos
  • CHARACTERIZATION OF IMAGE SENSORS
    Publication number: 20120013760
    Abstract: A camera module characterization method is presented. An object is imaged with the camera module. The object may be a test chart including a pattern that defines edges and markers. A resolution metric is measured from the obtained image, and at least one point where the resolution metric is maximized is identified (indicative of a measured in-focus position). The measured in-focus position is then used to derive optical aberration parameters. With respect to the test chart, the markers in the image are located and compared with known theoretical marker positions. A difference between the theoretical and actual marker positions is calculated and used to determine edge locations. A measurement of a resolution metric is then made from the obtained image at the determined edge locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventors: Pierre-Jean Parodi-Keravec, Iain McAllister