Abstract: An electronic device includes an electronic component and a protection circuit configured to protect the component from overvoltages. A control circuit is configured to inhibit a part of the protection circuit in the presence of a test voltage across terminals of the component.

Abstract: A multiband coupling circuit including: a number of paths equal to the number of frequency bands, each path having a first terminal and a second terminal; a third terminal and a fourth terminal; a number of distributed couplers equal to the number of paths, all couplers being identical and sized according to the highest frequency band, and each coupler including a first conductive line between first and second ports connected to the first and second terminals of the concerned path, and a second conductive line coupled to the first one between third and fourth ports; a first set of attenuations between the third ports of the couplers and the third terminal of the circuit; and an array of filters between the fourth ports of the coupler and the fourth terminal of the circuit.

Abstract: A method for protecting a thin-layer battery connected to an intermittent load including the steps of periodically operating the battery at its maximum discharge current, and disconnecting the battery as soon as the voltage across it reaches a threshold value greater than its critical voltage for the maximum discharge current.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for a motion detection system for video signal processing that includes a luminance motion detector, a chroma motion detector, and a smoothness detector. These systems and methods may also include a phase motion detector, a baseband YC separation circuitry for video signal processing, a chip for video signal processing, and a video signal processing system used in an electronic article.

Abstract: In a microfluidic assembly, a microfluidic device is provided with a body in which at least a first inlet for loading a fluid for analysis, and a buried area in fluid communication with the first inlet are defined. An analysis chamber is in fluid communication with the buried area and an interface cover is coupled in a fluid-tight manner above the microfluidic device. The interface cover is provided with a sealing portion in correspondence to the analysis chamber, operable to assume a first configuration, in which it leaves the analysis chamber open, and a second configuration, in which it closes the analysis chamber in a fluid-tight manner.

Abstract: A method is provided for navigation of a mobile device. Spatial information of at least one beacon detected in an image relative to the image is determined. The image includes an image of the at least one beacon within at least part of an environment surrounding the mobile device. A position of the mobile device based on said spatial information is determined using encoded visual information of the at least one beacon.

Abstract: A transistor is formed having a thin film metal channel region. The transistor may be formed at the surface of a semiconductor substrate, an insulating substrate, or between dielectric layers above a substrate. A plurality of transistors each having a thin film metal channel region may be formed. Multiple arrays of such transistors can be vertically stacked in a same device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a microfluidic jetting device having a piezoelectric member positioned above a displaceable membrane. A voltage is applied across the piezoelectric member causing deformation of the piezoelectric member. The deformation of the piezoelectric member results in a displacement of the membrane, which is formed above a cavity. Displacement of the membrane creates pressure to jet or eject liquid from the cavity and suction liquid into the cavity through ports or apertures formed in the in membrane.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of fabricating an interconnection structure of an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of: forming a first conductive element within a first dielectric layer; depositing a first etch stop layer above the first conductive element and the first dielectric layer; forming an opening in the first etch stop layer above the first conductive element, to form a first connection area; depositing a second dielectric layer above the etch stop layer and above the first conductive element in the connection area; etching the second dielectric layer to form at least one hole which is at least partially aligned with the connection area; and filling the hole with a conductive material to form a second conductive element in electrical contact with the first conductive element.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for enabling the operation of a stereoscopic viewing device such that the viewing device provides a movable viewing window that enables the 3D rendering of 3D image data displayed by a backlit LCD device. In a particular implementation, the systems and methods disclosed herein are operable to control the operation of a pair of LCD shutter glasses.

Abstract: A method for configuring a first device for a near-field communication with a second device, wherein a peer-to-peer mode is selected if the second device draws the power supply of its circuits from a battery.

Abstract: An electrically erasable and programmable non-volatile memory device includes memory cells arranged in rows and columns, and each column of memory cells is associated with a respective local bit line. The local bit lines are divided into packets of local bit lines, each packet of local bit lines associated with a respective main bit line. Each local bit line is selectively couplable to the respective main bit line by a corresponding selector. Each local bit line is selectively couplable to a reference terminal, for receiving a reference voltage, by a corresponding discharge selector. Each discharge selector is active when the memory device is in a standby state. The non-volatile memory device further includes biasing circuitry to bias each main bit line to a pre-charge voltage during operation, and reading circuitry to select and access a group of memory cells during reading operations.

Abstract: A pump having: a cavity formed inside an insulating substrate, the upper part of the substrate being situated near the cavity having an edge; a conductive layer covering the inside of the cavity up to the edge and optionally covering the edge itself; a flexible membrane made of a conductive material placed above the cavity and resting against the edge; a dielectric layer covering the conductive layer or the membrane whereby insulating the portions of the conductive layer and of the membrane that are near one another; at least one aeration line formed in the insulating substrate that opens into the cavity via an opening in the conductive layer, and; terminals for applying a voltage between the conductive layer and the membrane.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope that includes a first mass oscillatable according to a first axis; an inertial sensor, including a second mass, drawn along by the first mass and constrained so as to oscillate according to a second axis, in response to a rotation of the gyroscope; a driving device coupled to the first mass so as to form a feedback control loop and configured to maintain the first mass in oscillation at a resonance frequency; and an open-loop reading device coupled to the inertial sensor for detecting displacements of the second mass according to the second axis. The driving device includes a read signal generator for supplying to the inertial sensor at least one read signal having the form of a square-wave signal of amplitude that sinusoidally varies with the resonance frequency.

Abstract: A force sensor to measure a force from a load includes a plunger, a flexible disc-shaped membrane, a support plate and a silicon die. The plunger is configured to receive the force from the load, and has a ring-shaped groove at the lower surface. The membrane has a ring-shaped upper bump at the upper surface configured to complementarily fit into the groove at the lower surface of plunger and a ring-shaped lower bump at lower upper surface. The support plate has a ring-shaped groove for complementary fit into the lower bump on the lower surface of the membrane. The silicon die is centrally mounted on the membrane and comprises piezo-resistors with resistance that varies when deformed by the force. Force received by the plunger is transmitted to the membrane, causing the membrane to flex and bending or compressing of the silicon die, resulting in the measurement of the force.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of performing, by an image processing device, object detection in an image comprising: performing one or more tests of a test sequence for detection of a first object on pixels values of a plurality of at least partially overlapping sub-regions (310, 312, 314) of a first search window (108); generating a cumulative score based on results of said one or more tests on said plurality of sub-regions; comparing said cumulative score with a threshold value; and based on said comparison, selectively performing one or more of said tests of said test sequence on at least one further sub-region of said first search window, said at least one further sub-region at least partially overlapping each of said plurality of sub-regions.

Abstract: A line-powered LED driver is operable to provide primary-side regulation of output current supplied to LED circuitry. The circuit includes a feedback loop coupled to a power converter, wherein the feedback loop adds scaled input current to scaled input voltage to produce a control signal. The power converter is responsive to the control signal to adjust input current drawn by the power converter in response to changes in line voltage to provide constant input power. The power converter produces output power for supplying constant output current at the LEDs. The feedback loop may use a reference voltage derived from the LED circuitry so that the output power may be regulated to provide constant LED current for varying LED voltages. When compared to secondary-side current feedback schemes, the LED driver provides increased efficiency and reliability at a reduced cost by implementing primary-side regulation of the output current.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a phase-locked loop that reduces the effects of jitter caused by thermal noise of a resistor in a low-pass filter in the PLL. Thermal noise from various electronic components may cause unwanted jitter is a PLL. The size of various components in the filter are typically set to specific sizes to realize a transfer function suited for loop stability and reduction in phase jitter. In one embodiment, the jitter due to thermal noise in the resistor may be reduced by reducing the size of the gain affecting the signal through this resistor. By adjusting the size of the resistor by a scaling factor as well as other components in the PLL, one may then control a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) using two or more control signals through the LPF.

Abstract: A chip with a built-in self-test (BIST) component capable of testing the linearity of an ADC is described herein. The BIST component uses hardware registers to facilitate a sliding histogram technique to save space on the chip. A subset of detected digital codes are analyzed, and DNL and INL calculations are performed by a controller to determine whether any of the digital codes in the subset exceed maximum or minimum DNL and INL thresholds. New digital codes being detected by the ADC are added to the subset as lower-value digital codes are pushed out of the subset, maintaining the same number of digital codes being analyzed as the subset moves from lower codes detected during lower voltages to higher codes detected at higher voltages. A synchronizer and pointer ensure that the subset moves through the digital codes at the same rate as the analog input ramp source.

Abstract: A circuit includes a direct current (DC) gate termination impedance having an impedance for DC signals higher than a maximum impedance DC at which dendrite growth occurs in the circuit, and a radio frequency (RF) gate termination impedance having an impedance for RF signals lower than a maximum impedance at which RF stability for the circuit is maintained for an application.