Abstract: An antenna generating an electromagnetic field for an electromagnetic transponder and a terminal provided with such an antenna. The antenna comprises a first inductive element designed to be connected to two terminals employing an energizing voltage, and a parallel resonant circuit coupled with the first inductive element.

Abstract: A method of sensing the air/fuel ratio in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine that may be easily implemented by a respective low-cost device includes a pressure sensor and a learning machine that generates a sensing signal representing the air/fuel ratio by processing the waveform of the pressure in at least one cylinder of the engine. In practice, the learning machine extracts characteristic parameters of the waveform of the pressure and as a function of a certain number of them generates the sensing signal.

Abstract: Memory devices and methods of operating a memory cell are disclosed in which a bitline can be grounded after charge sharing with an electrically floating ground line and before writing data to the memory cell. An electric potential of an upper power supply node of a memory cell can be lowered and an electric potential of a lower power supply node of the memory cell can be raised before writing data to the memory cell.

Abstract: A voltage regulator includes an amplifier and a regulation loop. The regulator includes a first PMOS transistor connected to a terminal supplying an input voltage, a second PMOS transistor connected in series with the first PMOS transistor. A node between those two transistors defines an output terminal. A first source of a first polarization current of fixed value is connected to the gate of the first transistor, and a second source of a second polarization current of fixed value connects the second transistor to ground. A third NMOS transistor is connected between the two current sources. A circuit is provided to modify automatically at least one of the polarization currents in relation to the load current.

Abstract: A switched-mode converter includes first and second chopper transistors, and control means for maintaining the first and second chopper transistors respectively on and off during first operating phases. The first and second chopper transistors are maintained respectively off and on during second operating phases. An intermediary voltage is applied to the gate of the second transistor during intermediary phases taking place between the first and second phases. This intermediary voltage is close to the threshold voltage of the second transistor.

Abstract: An embodiment of an arrangement for detecting 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 sequence 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 base on the information coming from a channel state information matrix and a-priori information on said modulated symbols from a second module, such as a forward error correction code decoder.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter based switching voltage regulator circuit is for powering a microprocessor including regulated power supplies configured to produce different output voltages. The DC-DC converter has an output power stage configured to generate a regulated DC supply voltage and comprising a plurality of power transistors. A driver circuit is configured to drive the plurality of power transistors at an adjustable drive voltage in response to a drive control signal. Circuitry is configured to adaptively adjust the adjustable drive voltage and has a voltage selector configured to select between at least two different output voltages for the regulated power supplies of the microprocessor to be coupled to the driver circuit. The voltage selector is controlled by a state logic signal generated based upon logic signals generated by the microprocessor, the state logic signal indicating whether the microprocessor is entering a given power state.

Abstract: A switching circuit comprises a control and bias stage configured for receiving a first input voltage signal, a second input voltage signal and a selection signal and for generating therefrom a first bulk bias signal substantially equal to the first input voltage signal or to the second input voltage signal depending on the selection signal. The switching circuit further comprises a switching stage connected to the control and bias stage, including a transistor having a bulk terminal, and configured for receiving the bulk bias signal and generating an output signal having the first input voltage signal when the selection signal indicates the selection of the first input voltage signal or having the second input voltage signal when the selection signal indicates the selection of the second input voltage signal. The bulk bias signal is electrically coupled to the bulk terminal of the transistor.

Abstract: The electronic device comprises a first terminal and a second terminal, a buffer connected between the first terminal and the second terminal and comprising a signal input, and means for protecting against electrostatic discharges likely to occur across at least a pair of nodes of the buffer. The device comprises at least one integrated structure connected between the two nodes and said signal input, containing at least one MOS transistor and forming both said protection means and at least a part of said buffer.

Abstract: An electronic device includes N inputs to receive R input data, R being able to take values from 1 to N, and N outputs. A configurable shift circuit is coupled between the N inputs and N outputs and has a cascade of shift stages, each shift stage comprising at least N controllable multiplexers. Each multiplexer includes first and second elementary inputs respectively coupled to a first input and a second input taken from among the N inputs so as to, on command, not shift a data item present on the first elementary input and shift a data item present on the second elementary input by an elementary shift value dependent on a rank of the shift stage, a direction of the shift being identical for each multiplexer. Control circuitry controls the multiplexers to deliver the R input data on R outputs.

Abstract: Embodiment for forming an aggregate signal from a plurality of starting signals, comprising: acquiring said starting signals through respective sensors of a homogeneous sensors group; converting acquired signals in respective digital signals having data represented with a predetermined bits number; processing the digital signals to form aggregate signal. The processing step comprises the operations of: modifying digital signals changing the data format of each such digital signals from a first format to a second format, each data in the second format having been obtained from a respective data in the first format through an operation of permuting the bits position according to a permutation scheme associated with said data and to the specific digital signal comprising that data; forming aggregate signal obtaining said aggregate signal data by means of a bitwise logic operator acting upon said modified digital signal respective data.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a wafer-size photovoltaic cell module includes defining an integrated cellular structure of a light converting monolateral or bilateral junction diode in an epitaxially grown detachable layer including a first deposited metal current collecting terminal of the diode. The method also includes laminating onto the surface of the processed epitaxially grown detachable layer a film of an optical grade plastic material resistant to hydrofluoric acid solutions. The method further includes immersing the wafer in a hydrofluoric acid solution causing detachment of the epitaxially grown silicon layer laminated with the film, and polishing the surface of separation of the detached epitaxially grown layer and forming a second metal current collecting terminal of the diode by masked deposition of a metal at a temperature tolerable by the film.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical device has a mobile mass that undergoes a movement, in particular a spurious movement, in a first direction in response to an external event; the device moreover has a stopper structure configured so as to stop said spurious movement. In particular, a stopper element is fixedly coupled to the mobile mass and is configured so as to abut against a stopper mass in response to the spurious movement, thereby stopping it. In detail, the stopper element is arranged on the opposite side of the stopper mass with respect to a direction of the spurious movement, protrudes from the space occupied by the mobile mass and extends in the space occupied by the stopper mass, in the first direction.

Abstract: A method includes splitting and filtering a left input signal and a right input signal to produce a plurality of frequency sub-bands. Each of the frequency sub-bands includes a left sub-band signal and a right sub-band signal. The method also includes processing the left and right sub-band signals associated with each of the frequency sub-bands into a plurality of sub-band channel signals. The plurality of sub-band channel signals includes at least three sub-band channel signals. In addition, the method includes summing corresponding ones of the sub-band channel signals for reproduction in a corresponding channel of a plurality of channels. The plurality of sub-band channel signals may include a left sub-band channel signal, a right sub-band channel signal, a center sub-band channel signal, a left surround sub-band channel signal, and a right surround sub-band channel signal.

Abstract: An electronic adapter device and an electronic system that comprises the electronic adapter device are described. The electronic adapter device comprises a device and a redundant device able to receive data from a first plurality of electronic devices and redundant data from a second plurality of electronic devices, and able to select therefrom first data and first redundant data respectively. The electronic adapter device also comprises a controller able to receive the selected first data and the selected first redundant data and is able to generate therefrom an error signal indicating a fault in an electronic device of the first plurality or a fault in the device.

Abstract: A method for executing by a processing unit a program stored in a memory, includes: detecting a piece of information during the execution of the program by the processing unit, and if the information is detected, triggering the execution of a hidden subprogram by the processing unit. The method may be applied to the securization of an integrated circuit.

Abstract: A position computing method computes a position of a receiver using a satellite navigation system. The method includes: bringing a satellite receiver in a dark region of the satellite system; bringing the receiver into a visible region of the satellite system outside the dark region; allocating to the dark region a darkness category chosen between at least two categories based on a dark region crossing time at which the receiver crosses between the dark region and the visible region; allocating a visibility class, chosen between at least two distinct classes, to the visibility region; and selecting one of first and second receiver position computing methods based on the class and the category allocated. The method further includes calculating a receiver position of the receiver by applying the selected computing method.

Abstract: In a device for driving LEDs with variable light intensity, a supply stage has a first operating mode, in which a controlled supply current is generated, and a second operating mode, in which a controlled supply voltage is generated. A LED is connected to the supply stage, receives the controlled supply current or voltage, and has a turning-on threshold voltage higher than the controlled supply voltage. A current sensor generates a current-feedback signal that is correlated to the current flowing in the LED and is supplied to the supply stage in the first operating mode. An intensity-control stage generates a mode-control signal that is sent to the supply stage and controls sequential switching between the first and the second operating modes of the supply stage.

Abstract: An embodiment of a data-read path includes a defect detector and a data-recovery circuit. The defect detector is operable to identify a defective region of a data-storage medium, and the data-recovery circuit is operable to recover data from the data-storage medium in response to the defect detector. For example, such an embodiment may allow identifying a defective region of a data-storage disk caused, e.g., by a scratch or contamination, and may allow recovering data that was written to the defective region.

Abstract: An image processing arrangement includes an input to receive an indicator of a power characteristic related to an image processing arrangement and an image processor to process an image based on the indicator of the power characteristic.