Abstract: Disclosed herein is a MEMS device including a fixed structure, a mobile structure, and deformable structures extending therebetween. The deformable structures have first ends anchored along X and Y axes of the fixed structure, and have second ends anchored offset from the X and Y axes of the fixed structure. The deformable structures are shaped so as to curve from their anchoring points along the mobile structure back toward the mobile structure, to extend along the perimeter of the mobile structure, and to then curve away from the mobile structure and toward their anchoring points along the fixed structure. Each deformable structure has two piezoelectric elements that extend along the length of that deformable structure, with one piezoelectric element having a greater length than the other piezoelectric element.

Abstract: A packaged semiconductor device includes an insulating material forming a side surface of the packaged semiconductor device. An integrated-circuit chip is embedded in the insulating material and includes a communication circuit. A wiring system is embedded in the insulating material and electrically couples the integrated-circuit chip with a plurality of package contact elements. A first communication pad is formed in the side surface and is operatively coupled to the communication circuit to enable signal exchange through the first communication pad.

Abstract: Ejection device for fluid, comprising a solid body including: first semiconductor body including a chamber for containing the fluid, an ejection nozzle in fluid connection with the chamber, and an actuator operatively connected to the chamber to generate, in use, one or more pressure waves in the fluid such as to cause ejection of the fluid from the ejection nozzle; and a second semiconductor body including a channel for feeding the fluid to the chamber, coupled to the first semiconductor body, in such a way that the channel is in fluid connection with the chamber. The second semiconductor body integrates a damping cavity over which extends a damping membrane, the damping cavity and the damping membrane extending laterally to the channel for feeding the fluid.

Abstract: A thermal control process for an electronic power device including a multi junction integrated circuit may include defining a first and at least one second groups of junctions, with each group including one first and at least one second junctions, and associating a thermal detector with each group. A first group control may be executed which detects group electric signals representative of the temperature detected by the thermal detectors, processes the group electric signals with reference to a group critical thermal event, identifies a critical group when the corresponding group electric signal detects the critical group thermal event, and generates group deactivating signals suitable for selectively deactivating the first and the at least one second junctions of the identified critical group with respect to the remaining junctions of the integrated circuit.

Abstract: An auto-tuned ramp generator and a method for generating a sawtooth signal are provided. In the method and apparatus, a sawtooth signal is compared to a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. In response to determining that the sawtooth signal does not exceed the first reference voltage, the voltage level of the sawtooth signal is increased. In response to determining that the sawtooth signal exceeds the second reference voltage, the voltage level of the sawtooth signal is decreased. The voltage level the sawtooth signal is retained if the sawtooth signal remains between the first and second reference voltages.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a device may include a first sensor configured to generate first sensor data during a first time period and a second time period; a second sensor configured to be disabled during the first time period, the second sensor further being configured to generate second sensor data during the second time period; and a processor configured to determine a characteristic of the first sensor data during the first time period. The device may further include a classifying circuit configured to determine, during the first time period, whether the device has changed state based on the characteristic of the first sensor data, the classifying circuit further being configured to cause the second sensor to be enabled in response to a change in a state of the device.

Abstract: A control system for an ultrasound transmission/reception apparatus with a plurality of acoustic transducers for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals may include driving device operatively coupled to the acoustic transducers and a control unit. The control unit may cyclically control the acoustic transducers in a transmission state for transmitting ultrasound signals, and in a reception state for receiving echoes of the transmitted ultrasound signals. The control unit may include an input stage which receives an external timing signal, and a processing stage which detects a first edge of the timing signal to determine the start time of a transmission phase during which the acoustic transducers are controlled in the transmission state, and a second edge of the timing signal to determine the stop time of a reception phase during which the acoustic transducers are controlled in the reception state.

Abstract: The power supply device comprises a supply transistor commanded by a command signal and providing electric power to a lighting module, and a driving means configured to selectively generate, depending on an instruction signal representative of the structure of said at least one lighting module, a first command signal able to command the supply transistor into an ohmic regime, a second command signal able to command the supply transistor into a pulse width modulation regime involving an alternation of ohmic regimes and blocked regimes, and a third command signal able to command the supply transistor into a saturated regime.

Abstract: A MEMS device including a main die that may be coupled to a secondary die, which forms a frame, and at least one first mobile mass elastically coupled to the frame, the main die forming: a driving stage that drives the first mobile mass so that it oscillates, parallel to a first direction, with frequency-modulated displacements; and a processing stage, which generates an output signal indicating an angular velocity of the MEMS device as a function of displacements parallel to a second direction that are made by the first mobile mass, when driven by the driving stage, on account of a Coriolis force.

Abstract: Method for generating a lane departure warning in a vehicle, comprising acquiring a plurality of frames of a digital image of a road on which the vehicle is running, the digital image of a road including the image of a lane within which the vehicle is running and of marking lines of the lane, for each of the acquired frames, extracting edge points of the frame, analyzing the edge points to evaluate a lane departure status, the evaluation including performing a lane departure verification procedure including identifying in the frame points representative of the position of the lane marking lines, generating a lane departure alert if a lane departure status is detected by the lane departure verification procedure.

Abstract: A voltage comparator for detecting a voltage difference in a high-voltage domain, wherein said comparator receives an input voltage and compares it with a reference voltage also received in input, in which the output voltage from the comparator assumes the logic value 1 if the input voltage is greater than the reference voltage and assumes the logic value 0 if the input voltage is less than or equal to the reference voltage, wherein said comparator comprises low-voltage components and a single high-voltage component. In particular, the low-voltage components are MOS transistors and the high-voltage component is a high-voltage PMOS.

Abstract: An electronic device includes: a semiconductor body; a front metallization region; a top buffer region, arranged between the front metallization region and the semiconductor body; and a conductive wire, electrically connected to the front metallization region. The top buffer region is at least partially sintered.

Abstract: Digital image processing circuitry clusters a set of images into a set of first clusters of images and a set of unclustered images. The set of first clusters are merged, generating a set of second clusters of images. Images in the set of unclustered images are assigned to one of a cluster of the set of second clusters of images and an outlier image cluster. The clustered images may be partitioned into subclusters based on detection of objects in the images.

Abstract: A multi-axis MEMS gyroscope includes a micromechanical detection structure having a substrate, a driving-mass arrangement, a driven-mass arrangement with a central window, and a sensing-mass arrangement which undergoes sensing movements in the presence of angular velocities about a first horizontal axis and a second horizontal axis. A sensing-electrode arrangement is fixed with respect to the substrate and is set underneath the sensing-mass arrangement. An anchorage assembly is set within the central window for constraining the driven-mass arrangement to the substrate at anchorage elements. The anchorage assembly includes a rigid structure suspended above the substrate that is elastically coupled to the driven mass by elastic connection elements at a central portion, and is coupled to the anchorage elements by elastic decoupling elements at end portions thereof.

Abstract: An optical device for detecting a first chemical species and a second chemical species contained in a specimen, which includes: a first optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to an optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a first range of wavelengths; and a second optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to the optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a second range of wavelengths, different from the first range of wavelengths.

Abstract: An occurrence of a first set of n periods of a frequency-shift-keying (FSK)-modulated waveform is counted, where n is an integer number. The n periods of the FSK-modulated waveform in the first set have a first time duration. An occurrence of a second set of n periods of the waveform is counted. The n periods of the waveform in the second set have a second time duration. The first time duration is determined based on the counting of the first set of n periods. The second time duration is determined based on the counting of the second set of n periods. A difference between the first time duration and the second time duration is compared to a threshold. Changes in frequency of the waveform are detected based on the comparing of the difference between the first time duration and the second time duration to the threshold.

Abstract: Provided is an acoustic transducer including: a semiconductor substrate; a vibrating membrane, provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a vibrating electrode; and a fixed membrane, provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a fixed electrode, the acoustic transducer detecting a sound wave according to changes in capacitances between the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode, converting the sound wave into electrical signals, and outputting the electrical signals. At least one of the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode is divided into a plurality of divided electrodes, and the plurality of divided electrodes outputting the electrical signals.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package with improved reliability and methods for creating the same are disclosed. More specifically, integrated circuit packages are created using one or more sacrificial layers that provide support for ink printed wires prior to package processing, but are removed during package processing. Once each of the sacrificial layers is removed, molding compound is placed around each ink printed wire, which may have a substantially rectangular cross section that can vary in dimension along a length of a given wire. While substantially surrounding each wire in and of itself improves reliability, removing non-conductive paste, fillets, or other adhesive materials also minimizes adhesion issues between the molding compound and those materials, which increases the bond of the molding compound to the package and its components. The net result is a more reliable integrated circuit package that is less susceptible to internal cracking and wire damage.

Abstract: A gyroscope includes: a mass, which is movable with respect to a supporting body; a driving loop for keeping the mass in oscillation according to a driving axis; a reading device, which supplying an output signal indicating an angular speed of the body; and a compensation device, for attenuating spurious signal components in quadrature with respect to a velocity of oscillation of the mass. The reading device includes an amplifier, which supplies a transduction signal indicating a position of the mass according to a sensing axis. The compensation device forms a control loop with the amplifier, extracts from the transduction signal an error signal representing quadrature components in the transduction signal, and supplies to the amplifier a compensation signal such as to attenuate the error signal.

Abstract: A MEMS sensor has at least a movable element designed to oscillate at an oscillation frequency, and an integrated measuring system coupled to the movable element to provide a measure of the oscillation frequency. The measuring system has a light source to emit a light beam towards the movable element and a light detector to receive the light beam reflected back from the movable element, including a semiconductor photodiode array. In particular, the light detector is an integrated photomultiplier having an array of single photon avalanche diodes.