Abstract: A cross-point cell nanoarray comprises a mechanical support substrate, first and second orders of uniformly spaced parallel electrodes separated by an electrically active organic film and orthogonally arranged to form an array of cross-point cells, individually addressable by biasing the respective opposite electrodes, by selecting them among those of the respective orders, over a planar area of the substrate. The active organic resin layer includes a block copolymer of a major component resin and of at least one different minor component resin, configured to promote formation of large-scale ordered nanostructures through phase segregation, due to block incompatibility and self-assembly properties of the blocks. Polymeric bocks of the ordered nanostructures configured to sequester conductive nanoparticles and/or conductive nanoparticle clusters originally dispersed in the component organic resins, subtracting them from the surrounding matrix copolymer.

Abstract: A time-domain method of adaptively levelling the loudness of a digital audio signal is proposed. It selects a proper frequency weighting curve to relate the volume level to the human auditory system. The audio signal is segmented into frames of a suitable duration for content analysis. Each frame is classified to one of several predefined states and events of perceptual interest is detected. Four quantities are updated each frame according to the classified state and detected event to keep track of the signal. One quantity measures the long-term loudness and is the main criterion for state classification of a frame. The second quantity is the short-term loudness that is mainly used for deriving the target gain. The third quantity measures the low-level loudness when the signal is deemed to not contain important content, giving a reasonable estimate of noise floor. A fourth quantity measures the peak loudness level that is used to simulate the temporal masking effect.

Abstract: A boost circuit is used for power factor correction (PFC). In a low power application, transition mode control is utilized. However, switching frequency varies with different input voltages, and over a wide input voltage range, the switching frequency can become too high to be practical. To address this issue, a boost circuit is provided whose effective inductance changes as a function of input voltage. By changing the inductance, control is exercised over switching frequency.

Abstract: Sequential electronic circuit (10) reacting on a rising edge and a falling edge of a clock signal (CK), comprising a first (1) and a second (2) D-type flip-flop, a main multiplexer (3) coupled at input to the flip-flops (1 and 2), the circuit (10) comprising a first input receiving the clock signal (CK) and a second input receiving a control signal (TE) so as to control the circuit (10) according to a normal operating mode and a test operating mode making it possible to check the proper operation of the sequential electronic circuit (10). The clock signal (CK) used in the normal operating mode is used to gate the circuit (10) during the test operating mode.

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.

Abstract: A sense-amplifier circuit includes: a comparison stage that compares a cell current that flows in a memory cell and through an associated bitline, with a reference current, for supplying an output signal indicating the state of the memory cell; and a precharging stage, which supplies, during a precharging step prior to the comparison step, a precharging current to the bitline so as to charge a capacitance thereof. The comparison stage includes a first comparison transistor and by a second comparison transistor, which are coupled in current-mirror configuration respectively to a first differential output and to a second differential output, through which a biasing current flows. The precharging stage diverts, during the precharging step, the biasing current towards the bitline as precharging current, and allows, during the comparison step, passage of part of the biasing current towards the first differential output, enabling operation of the current mirror.

Abstract: An integrated power MOSFET device formed by a substrate); an epitaxial layer of N type; a sinker region of P type, extending through the epitaxial layer from the top surface and in electrical contact with the substrate; a body region, of P type, extending within the sinker region from the top surface; a source region, of N type, extending within the body region from the top surface, the source region delimiting a channel region; a gate region; a source contact, electrically connected to the body region and to the source region; a drain contact, electrically connected to the epitaxial layer; and a source metallization region, extending over the rear surface and electrically connected to the substrate and to the sinker region.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a back-side illuminated image sensor, including the steps of: forming, inside and on top of an SOI-type silicon layer, components for trapping and transferring photogenerated carriers and isolation regions; forming a stack of interconnection levels on the silicon layer and attaching, on the interconnect stack, a semiconductor handle; removing the semiconductor support; forming, in the insulating layer and the silicon layer, trenches reaching the isolation regions; depositing a doped amorphous silicon layer, more heavily doped than the silicon layer, at least on the walls and the bottom of the trenches and having the amorphous silicon layer crystallize; and filling the trenches with a reflective material.

Abstract: A MEMS detection structure is provided with: a substrate having a top surface, on which a first fixed-electrode arrangement is set; a sensing mass, extending in a plane and suspended above the substrate and above the first fixed-electrode arrangement at a separation distance; and connection elastic elements that support the sensing mass so that it is free to rotate out of the plane about an axis of rotation, modifying the separation distance, as a function of a quantity to be detected along an axis orthogonal to the plane. The MEMS detection structure also includes: a coupling mass, suspended above the substrate and connected to the sensing mass via the connection elastic elements; and an anchoring arrangement, which anchors the coupling mass to the substrate with a first point of constraint, set at a distance from the axis of rotation and in a position corresponding to the first fixed-electrode arrangement.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a light sensor includes four cell arrays, one for each color of the Bayer pattern, and four lenses each focusing the light coming from the scene to be captured on a respective cell array. The lenses are oriented such that at least a second green image, commonly provided by the fourth cell array, is both horizontally and vertically shifted (spaced) apart by half a pixel pitch from a first (reference) green image. In a second embodiment, the four lenses are oriented such that the red and blue images are respectively shifted (spaced) apart by half a pixel pitch from the first or reference green image, one horizontally and the other vertically, and the second green image is shifted (spaced) apart by half a pixel pitch from the reference green image both horizontally and vertically.

Abstract: A signal processor includes one or more memory banks, wherein each memory bank stores filter coefficients; and one or more coefficient multiplexer units; each coefficient multiplexer unit being associated with a memory bank, and retrieves a filter coefficient based on a number of received input samples. The processor includes one or more multiply and accumulate (MAC) units, each MAC unit being associated with a coefficient multiplexer unit and determines a product of the retrieved filter coefficient with an input sample; retrieves a previous value stored in an associated register; computes a summation of the previous value and the product; and stores the summation in the associated register. The processor includes an output multiplexer unit to select a register, and to provide a value stored in the register as an output.

Abstract: A gate amplification triac including in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type a vertical triac and a lateral bipolar transistor having its emitter connected to the triac gate, its base connected to a control terminal, and its collector connected to a terminal intended to be connected to a first reference voltage, the main terminal of the triac on the side of the transistor being intended to be connected to a second reference voltage, the transistor being formed in a first well of the second conductivity type and the triac comprising on the transistor side a second well of the second conductivity type, the first and second wells being formed so that the substrate-well breakdown voltage of the transistor is greater than the substrate-well breakdown voltage of the triac by at least the difference between the first and second reference voltages.

Abstract: A driving circuit for a gyroscope device provided with a micromechanical detection structure having a driving mass, which is driven in resonance condition and elastically coupled to which is a sensing mass for enabling detection of angular velocity; the driving circuit has: a set of driving electrodes, coupled to the driving mass; a driving stage supplying driving signals to the set of driving electrodes to cause oscillation in resonance condition of the driving mass; and a reading stage, which detects movement of the driving mass to implement a feedback control of the driving signals. In particular, the reading stage is selectively coupleable to the set of driving electrodes in a way temporally alternative to the driving stage, for discrete-time detection of the movement of the driving mass.

Abstract: One or more embodiments are directed to encapsulating structure comprising: a substrate having a first surface and housing at least one conductive pad, which extends facing the first surface and is configured for being electrically coupled to a conduction terminal at a reference voltage; a cover member, set at a distance from and facing the first surface of the substrate; and housing walls, which extend between the substrate and the cover member. The substrate, the cover member, and the housing walls define a cavity, which is internal to the encapsulating structure and houses the conductive pad. Moreover present inside the cavity is at least one electrically conductive structure, which extends between, and in electrical contact with, the cover member and the conductive pad for connecting the cover member electrically to the conduction terminal.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of fabricating an integrated circuit on a semiconductor chip, the method comprising: designing an architecture of the integrated circuit comprising at least first and second standard cells implementing a same basic function; designing for the standard cell at least first and second cell layouts presenting random differences; designing an integrated circuit layout corresponding to the integrated circuit architecture; fabricating the integrated circuit according to the integrated circuit layout; using the first cell layout to implement the first standard cell in the integrated circuit layout; and using the second cell layout to implement the second standard cell in the integrated circuit layout. The method can be used for protection of an integrated circuit against reverse engineering.

Abstract: An automatic frequency selection circuit includes a base filter for receiving a video input, a peaking filter for receiving the video input, a first energy computation unit coupled to an output of the base filter, a second energy computation unit coupled to an output of the peaking filter, an automatic frequency control unit to compare relative measured energies of the first and second energy computation units and to output a temporarily stable selected frequency for a targeted attenuation, and a frame delay feedback unit for receiving the temporarily stable selected frequency coupled to the peaking filter.

Abstract: A camera module may include a mount and a barrel coupled to the mount. One of the barrel and the mount may include a polycarbonate material and the other of the barrel and the mount may include a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) material.

Abstract: An embodiment of an arrangement detects sequences of digitally modulated symbols from multiple sources. The arrangement identifies a suitable set of candidate values for at least one transmitted sequence of symbols and determines for each candidate value a set of sequences of transmitted symbols. The arrangement estimates at least one further set of sequences of transmitted symbols, calculates a metric for each sequence of transmitted symbols, and selects the sequence that maximizes the metric. At the end, a-posteriori bit soft output information for the selected sequence is calculated from the metrics for said sequences. Generally, these calculations are based on the information coming from a channel-state-information matrix and a-priori information on the modulated symbols from a second module, such as a forward error-correction-code (ECC) decoder.

Abstract: A method of detecting during a combustion cycle a peak value of pressure in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine includes providing and installing on the engine body an accelerometer that generates an acceleration signal representing vibrations of the engine body. The acceleration signal is filtered by comparing the band-pass filtered replica of the acceleration signal to a threshold. When the threshold is surpassed, a pressure peak is detected and flagged.

Abstract: A system for encoding digital signals for transmission over a channel by allocating redundant channel encoding bits, includes at least one encoder configured for: subjecting the digital signals to multiple description coding to produce therefrom multiple description encoded signals, and allocating at least part of the redundant channel encoding bits to the multiple description encoded signals.