Abstract: A distributed differential coupler, including a first conductive line and two second conductive lines coupled to the first one, each second conductive line including two conductive sections electrically in series, their respective junctions points being intended to be grounded.

Abstract: An electronic system, an integrated circuit and a method for display are disclosed. The electronic system contains a first device, a memory and a video/audio compression/decompression device such as a decoder/encoder. The electronic system is configured to allow the first device and the video/audio compression/decompression device to share the memory. The electronic system may be included in a computer in which case the memory is a main memory. Memory access is accomplished by one or more memory interfaces, direct coupling of the memory to a bus, or direct coupling of the first device and decoder/encoder to a bus. An arbiter selectively provides access for the first device and/or the decoder/encoder to the memory based on priority. The arbiter may be monolithically integrated into a memory interface. The decoder may be a video decoder configured to comply with the MPEG-2 standard. The memory may store predicted images obtained from a preceding image.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention relates to a method for transmission by ultra-wide-band pulses of digital data formed with a flow of information elements, this method comprising at least one operation including sequentially encoding the information elements by modulating an oscillating signal In order to avoid the use of a bandpass filter, the oscillating signal is modulated in amplitude depending on the identity or dissimilarity of each information element relative to the preceding information element.

Abstract: A channel equalizer having a filter arranged to filter an input signal, the filter including a plurality of taps, each tap generating an output signal based on a coefficient, an input for receiving the coefficients and an output for outputting a filtered signal; and coefficient generating circuitry including a graduation unit arranged to receive the input signal and an error signal indicating an error in the filtered signal, to accumulate gradient values relating to each of the coefficients based on a plurality of error values of the error signal, each of the gradient values indicating a required change in one of the coefficients, and to sequentially output the gradient values; and coefficient update unit arranged to sequentially update each of the filter coefficients in turn, based on the gradient values.

Abstract: Perceptual audio coder refers to audio compression schemes that exploit the properties of human auditory perception. The coder allocates the quantization noise below the masking threshold such that even with the bit rate limitation, the noise is imperceptible to the ear. These distortion and bit rate requirement makes the bit allocation-quantization process a considerable computational effort. One method includes incrementally adjusting a global gain according to a gradient. The gradient could be adjusted each time the number of bits used to represent a quantized value is counted. Another method includes limiting a rate controlling parameter to a predetermined number of loops. The method could also include deriving a global gain to ensure exit from the loop. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a fast and efficient method to derive the rate controlling parameter and can be applied to generic perceptual audio encoders where low computational complexity is required.

Abstract: A method of processing digital images by transforming a set of pixels from a three-dimensional space to a normalized two-dimensional space, determining a membership class and membership class level of each pixel in the set of pixels, and selectively modifying colors of pixels in the set of pixels based on the determined membership classes and membership class levels.

Abstract: A graphic module wherein, given a curve P(x,y)=P(x(t), y(t)) between two points P0(x,y)=P0(x(t0), y(t0)) and P1(x,y)=P1(x(t1), y(t1), in the screen coordinates, a calculating circuit computes a curve mid-point Phalf(x,y)=Phalf(x(thalf), y(thalf)), where thalf=(t0+t1)/2 on the curve, computes a segment mid-point PM(x,y)=(P0(x,y)+P1(x,y))/2 on segment P0P1, computes a distance function d between the curve mid-point and the segment mid-point, and, given two thresholds THR0 and THR1, with THR0<=THR1, if d<THR0, it generates line segment P0P1, and if THR0<=d<THR1, it generates two line segments P0Phalf and PhalfP1 if d>=THR1, it repeats the previous steps for the curve portions from P0 to Phalf and from Phalf to P1.

Abstract: A substrate is provided with electrical connection pads on a front face and on a rear face, the front pads and rear pads being selectively connected via a network passing through the substrate. A peripheral edge of the substrate is mounted on a rigid annular frame and the rearm face secured to a suction table. A layer of a dielectric sealant containing electrically conductive particles is deposited on the front face and front pads of the substrate. Integrated-circuit chips are positioned on the front face to flatten the layer of dielectric sealant, the included electrically conductive particles making electrical connection between pads of the integrated-circuit and the front pads of the substrate. The resulting assembly in then encapsulated in a block of encapsulating material positioned on top of the front face of the substrate. The block is then diced in order to obtain a plurality of semiconductor packages.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a constant current source driver for a light emitting diode string. The converter includes a current sensor that derives feedback signal corresponding to a peak current through the light emitting diode string. The feedback signal is used by a controller to vary a duty cycle of the controller to regulate the average current. The controller is operable to regulate the average current as the number of light emitting diodes is increased and/or decreased.

Abstract: A method and system by which base stations in a Wireless Regional Area Network (WRAN), and more generally transceivers in a cognitive radio (CR) system, can communicate to fairly share transmission and reception of scheduled use (“occupancy”) of frames on a single channel within a frame-based, on demand spectrum contention system. The method and system disclose how a base station can acquire the scheduled use of a share of the frames available in subsequent superframes of the CR system. The method and system assure fair and efficient access to the transmission channel by using a random number based contention process.

Abstract: The addition of high throughput capability elements to beacon frames and peer link action frames in wireless mesh networks enable the utilization of desirable features without further modifications to the network. Rules can be established for high throughput mesh point protection in a mesh network, Space-time Block Code (STBC) operations and 20/40 MHz operation selections. However, features such as PSMP (power save multi-poll) and PCO (phased coexistence operations) are barred from implementation to prevent collisions.

Abstract: An integrated circuit integrator includes a first transconductance amplifier having a gain adjustable based upon a first control signal, and receives, as an input, a signal to be filtered, and generates, as an output, a corresponding amplified signal. The first transconductance amplifier includes an R-C output circuit to filter components from the amplified signal, and an output resistance being adjustable based upon a second control signal. A second transconductance amplifier is matched with the first transconductance amplifier, and has a gain adjustable based upon the first control signal, and a matched output resistance adjustable based upon the second control signal. A circuit is configured to force a reference current through the matched output resistance. An error correction circuit is coupled to the second transconductance amplifier and is configured to generate the second control signal so as to keep constant a voltage on an output of the second transconductance amplifier.

Abstract: An electronic system comprises a resistive sensor structure and an electronic circuit portion whose design is selected such that different resistive sensor structures may be combined within the same electronic circuit. To this end, the resistive sensor structure is used as a voltage/current converter that provides input currents to a current amplifier, which in turn provides an amplified output voltage on the basis of a difference of the input currents. The operating range of the current amplifier is adjusted on the basis of a programmable current source irrespective of the configuration of the resistive sensor structure.

Abstract: Solar thin film modules are provided with reduced lateral dimensions of isolation trenches and contact trenches, which provide for a series connection of the individual solar cells. To this end lithography and etch techniques are applied to pattern the individual material layers, thereby reducing parasitic shunt leakages compared to conventional laser scribing techniques. In particular, there may be series connected solar cells formed on a flexible substrate material that are highly efficient in indoor applications.

Abstract: A system having an input and output buffer includes a dynamic driver reference generator to generate dynamic driver reference signals based on a data signal and an IO buffer supply voltage, a level shifter to generate level shifted signals based, in part, on the dynamic driver reference signals, and a driver having at least one stress transistor. The driver dynamically adjusts a voltage across the stress transistor based on at least one of dynamic driver reference signals, the level shifted signals, and a current state of an IO pad.

Abstract: A reliable and deterministic video communication protocol is provided. In one aspect, a method of transmitting data, audio or video frames in a basic service set having a plurality of stations in a wireless local area network transmits a transmit opportunity information element to reserve a transmit opportunity time interval. The method further transmits the data, audio or video frames to a number of the stations in the basic service set during the reserved transmit opportunity time interval. In another aspect, a method of transmitting data, audio or video frames in a basic service set having a plurality of stations in a wireless local area network first transmits protection frames to reserve a time interval, then transmits frames during the reserved time interval or during a non-reserved time interval.

Abstract: A method is for identifying a flash memory device coupled to a host device. The flash memory device may have a page size from possible page sizes, bootstrap code stored on a first sector thereof, and a data bus for accessing data stored in the flash memory device and with a data bus size from possible data bus sizes. The method may include reading data stored in a first page of the first sector as if the flash memory device had an assumed page size and an assumed data bus size, and reading content from memory locations where error correction code (ECC) bytes of the first page are stored if the flash memory device has the assumed page size and checking whether the ECC bytes include more than a number of errors associated with the assumed page size. The method may also include if the ECC bytes do not include more than the number of errors, generating a flag signal that the flash memory device has the assumed page size and the assumed data bus size.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a converter of the multiphase interleaving type. According to the method, there is detected when a change of a load applied to an output terminal of the converter occurs. When detected, all of the phases of the converter are simultaneously turned off by the generation of suitable PWM driving signals. The PWM driving signals are controlled so as to force the turn-on of the phases at the same time and to zero a time phase shift of driving of the interleaving type of the PWM driving signals. The interleaving of the driving time phase shift is recovered and a normal operation of the converter is restarted. A controller for controlling a converter of the multiphase interleaving type is also provided.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a bandgap reference generator and a voltage regulator. The bandgap reference generator includes a first current path, and a first bipolar transistor with an emitter-collector path in the first current path. The voltage regulator includes a second current path, wherein the second current path mirrors the first current path; a resistor configured to receive a current of the second current path; a second bipolar transistor with a base and a collector of the second bipolar transistor being interconnected; and a third bipolar transistor connected in series with the second bipolar transistor and the resistor. A base and a collector of the third bipolar transistor are interconnected.

Abstract: PSF coding has become well known in recent years. Although it enables significant increases in the depth of field, defocus introduces artifacts in images that are a major detraction from the final image quality. A method is described that enables the deduction or defocus and consequently the removal of these artifacts. The principle of the disclosed techniques involves iteratively adjusting the restoration algorithm according to a chosen image or artifact metric and choosing the defocus parameter that yields the image the lowest level of artifact.