Abstract: An image sensor including an assembly of pixels each having a photodetector, and having circuitry for detecting, at a given time, pixels receiving a light intensity value substantially equal to a given value and coding circuitry providing an address for each of said pixels.

Abstract: A low density parity check decoder for performing LDPC decoding based on a layered algorithm applied to a parity check matrix, the decoder including a channel memory, a metrics memory, first and second operand supply paths each arranged to provide operands based on channel values and metrics values; a processor block including a plurality processing units in parallel and arranged to receive operands from the first supply path and to determine updated metric values, a buffer arranged to store at least one of the operands from the first supply path; and an adder coupled to an output of the processor block and arranged to generate updated channel values by adding the updated metrics values to operands from a selected one of the buffer and the second supply path.

Abstract: A method for reading of the state of a non-volatile memory element, including conditioning the frequency of a first oscillatory to the state of this element, and comparing the frequency of the first oscillator with the predetermined frequency of a second oscillator, selected between two possible frequency values for the first oscillator, according to the state of the storage element.

Abstract: A method for transmitting digital messages used during testing of microprocessors. Each message includes at least one data packet. To transmit a message, each data packet is divided into successive segments of predetermined size, each segment being classified in accordance with one or the other among five types depending on whether it contains a start of message (SM), intermediate data (NT), an end of packet (EP), and end of message (EM); or it is an empty segment (ID). As each segment is sent, an identification signal characterizing the succession of the segment concerned and of the preceding segment is sent. To reduce the number of transmitted segments, a segment containing both the start and the end of a message is classified as being a segment containing an end of message, and a segment containing both the start of a message and the end of a first packet of the message being classified as a segment containing an end of packet.

Abstract: A method for reading from a cell of a network of photosensitive cells arranged in rows and in columns, each cell being adapted to providing an image voltage or a reference voltage, including charging, simultaneously for all the cells in the row of the cell, at least one capacitor with a resulting charge which is a function of the difference between a reference current and an image current respectively corresponding to the conversion, by an amplifying factor greater than one, of the reference voltage and of the image voltage, and measuring for the cell column the capacitor charge.

Abstract: A method of COFDM demodulation of symbols, each including first carriers conveying data and pilots having their frequency positions varying at least partly from one symbol to the next symbol. The method includes, for each symbol, a step of determining a first estimate of the transfer function of the channel for each carrier in a set of the first carriers of the symbol such that, for the frequency positions of the considered carriers, symbols different from the symbol include pilots, corresponding to a linear combination of second estimates determined for pilots at the frequency of said carrier. The coefficients of the linear combination are determined in iterative fashion, a new coefficient value being equal to the sum of the last value of the coefficient and of a term including the product between an iteration step and an error term, the iteration step being determined in iterative fashion.

Abstract: A radio signal receiver includes an input for receiving an input signal having an input carrier frequency modulated by a payload signal to be detected. A frequency converter changes the carrier frequency of the input signal and produces an intermediate signal that is an image of the input signal, and has a carrier frequency equal to an intermediate frequency. A filter circuit filters the intermediate signal. A demodulator eliminates a component, with a frequency equal to the intermediate frequency, from the filtered intermediate frequency, and produces the payload signal. The receiver also includes a detection circuit to produce a level signal representative of a level of the payload signal. A control circuit applies a control signal representative of the level signal to a control input of the frequency converter, the filter circuit and the demodulator.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a dual-conversion tuner, firstly upconverting so as to place a signal outside the reception band, then downconverting with zero intermediate frequency. A bulk acoustic wave type filter is calibrated in such a way as to accurately determine its central frequency. This filter is positioned between the two frequency transposition stages of the tuner. After baseband filtering, the signals are digitized then processed in a digital block BNM which includes a channel decoding module.

Abstract: A method and a circuit for protecting against possible fault injections a calculation successively performed by several hardware cells of a same electronic element, including: starting a first execution of the calculation; starting a second execution of the same calculation once the first execution has freed a first cell and goes on in a second cell; synchronizing the executions so that the second execution uses a cell only when the first execution has passed to the next cell; and verifying the identity between the two results at the end of the execution of the two calculations.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing different concurrent tasks by a subsystem managed by a central processor. Each tasks is comprised of successive messages including a first message, intermediate messages, and a last message. Each intermediate message comprises a subtask parameter and a link to the next message that indicates the time when the next message is to be processed. The central processor and the subsystem are connected to a storage memory and several counters associated with respective tasks. The system and method reduce task disruptions of the system.

Abstract: A method and a circuit of generation of several secret quantities by an integrated circuit according to the destination of these secret quantities, including taking into account a first digital word forming a single identifier of the integrated circuit chip and coming from a physical parameter network, and of individualizing this identifier according to the application.

Abstract: An imaging optical module is designed to be placed in front of an optical image sensor of a semiconductor component. The module includes at least one element which has a refractive index that varies between its optical axis and its periphery, over at least an annular part and/or over its central part. The element may be a tablet in front of the semiconductor sensor or a lens in front of the semiconductor sensor. The direction of variation in refractive index may be oppositely oriented with respect to the table and lens.

Abstract: A support wafer made of silicon wafer comprising, on a first surface a porous silicon layer having protrusions, porous silicon pillars extending from the porous silicon layer to the second surface of the wafer, in front of each protrusion. Layers constituting a fuel cell can be formed on the support wafer.

Abstract: A circuit for calculating a discriminating function with successive iterations and with a work register on data divided into blocks, including: a single operator in wired logic for executing the function; a plurality of work registers sharing the operator; and an element for selecting one of the work registers to be associated with the operator.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes at least one photodiode of the floating substrate type which is associated with a read transistor. The photodiode is formed from a buried layer lying beneath the floating substrate and an upper layer lying on the floating substrate. The upper layer incorporates the source and drain regions of the read transistor. The source and drain regions are produced on either side of the gate of the read transistor. An isolating trench is located alongside the source region and extends from the upper surface of the upper layer down to below the buried layer, so as to isolate the source region from said buried layer.

Abstract: A method and a system of sharing of a clock by an electronic circuit between at least one first task clocked by at least one first counter and at least one second task clocked by a second counter, the two counters varying at the rate of said clock, the content of the first counter plus or minus an offset value being, on each execution of the second task, assigned to the second counter.

Abstract: A method for selectively etching single-crystal silicon-germanium in the presence of single-crystal silicon, including a chemical etch based on hydrochloric acid in gaseous phase at a temperature lower than approximately 700° C.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing silicon wells of various crystallographic orientations in a silicon support, including the steps of: forming a silicon layer having a first orientation on a silicon substrate having a second orientation; forming insulating walls, defining wells extend at least down to the border between the silicon substrate and the silicon layer; performing, in first wells, a chemical vapor etch (CVE) of the silicon layer by means of hydrochloric acid, in an epitaxy reactor, at a temperature ranging between 700° C. and 950° C.; and performing, in the first wells, a vapor-phase epitaxy on the silicon substrate in the presence of a precursor of silicon and hydrochloric acid, at a temperature ranging between 700° C. and 900° C. and up to the upper surface of the silicon layer.

Abstract: A COFDM demodulator including a fast Fourier transform circuit receiving a signal on an information channel, the received signal corresponding to a sequence of symbols, each conveying several carriers, some of which are pilots, each carrier of a symbol being modulated in plase and/or in amplitude by a current complex coefficient, the fast Fourier transform circuit providing for each carrier the associated current complex coefficient; a circuit for determining an estimate of the frequency response of the information channel providing, for each pilot, a complex coefficient estimated based on the current complex coefficient associated with the pilot, and a circuit for determining the time variation of the frequency response of the information channel based on the estimated and current complex numbers associated with at least one pilot.

Abstract: A porous dielectric element is produced by forming a first dielectric and a second dielectric. The second dielectric is dispersed in the first dielectric. The second dielectric is then removed from the second dielectric by using a chemical dissolution. The removal of the second dielectric from the first dielectric leaves pores in the first dielectric. The pores, which are filled with air, improve the overall dielectric constant of the resulting dielectric element.