Abstract: A device that enables a user to exchange information with other people about the user's preferences with respect to the primary function in storage. The purpose of the exchange of information is to discover common user preferences or interests. Preferences such as musical taste can be rated by the user and the information exchanged. A comparison is made with other users and when a user is within a certain distance that shares common preferences/interests, the user is told of the other person, and the relative distance of the person having the common interests. The device is suitable for digital audio players, wireless telephones, remote controls, portable television/video/radio devices and can be used to match people based on their common preferences.

Abstract: In a radio communication system having a primary station and a plurality of secondary stations, the power of uplink and downlink channels between the primary station and a secondary station is controlled in a closed loop manner by each station transmitting power control commands to the other station. In response to these commands the receiving station adjusts its output power in steps. By combining a plurality of received power control commands before adjusting its output power the receiving station may emulate the ability to use a smaller power control step size than its minimum, thereby improving performance under certain channel conditions. In one embodiment when the required power control step size is less than the minimum step size of a particular station, that station processes a group of power control commands to determine whether to adjust its output power by its minimum step size. In an alternative embodiment the power control step size is fixed when the combining algorithm is used.

Abstract: Audio-centered information is stored on a unitary medium by using a Table-of-Contents (TOC) mechanism that specifies an actual configuration of various audio items on the medium. In particular, each one of a set of one or more Track Areas gets at least two mutually logically conforming Sub-TOCs assigned. This allows to retrieve any constituent Sub-TOC part from at least any correct copy of the Sub-TOCs. Furthermore, one or more Master-TOCs are provided for specifically pointing to each of the Sub-TOCs.

Abstract: A record carrier stores information readable by a processor, where the information includes main data and sub data. The sub data includes coded text lines having a plurality of character codes, where the coded text lines includes control codes for controlling the processor to display characters representing the coded text lines on a display unit configured to display at least one line of characters. The at least one line has a predetermined number character positions which is less than a number of characters in the coded text lines. A selected number of the character codes are displayable at the predetermined number of character positions of the at least one line.

Abstract: A radio communication system has a random access channel for the transmission of data (214) from a secondary station to a primary station. Such a channel is intended for use by secondary stations having packets of data (214) to transmit to a primary station while not actually engaged in a call. A problem with known systems of this type is that a secondary station requesting access also specifies which of a plurality of channels it wishes to access. If that channel is busy access is denied, even if other suitable channels are available. In the present system the primary station transmits a random access channel availability (AV) message (302) once per frame to inform secondary stations about the resources currently available. Hence a secondary station can select a channel known to be free. If no channels are available the secondary station can avoid a wasted access attempt.

Abstract: A radio communication system has a random access channel for the transmission of data (214) from a secondary station to a primary station. Such a channel is intended for use by secondary stations having packets of data (214) to transmit to a primary station while not actually engaged in a call. A problem with known systems of this type is that a secondary station requesting access also specifies which of a plurality of channels it wishes to access. If that channel is busy access is denied, even if other suitable channels are available. In the present system the primary station transmits a random access channel availability (AV) message (302) once per frame to inform secondary stations about the resources currently available. Hence a secondary station can select a channel known to be free. If no channels are available the secondary station can avoid a wasted access attempt.

Abstract: A radio communication system has a random access channel for the transmission of data (214) from a secondary station to a primary station. Such a channel is intended for use by secondary stations having packets of data (214) to transmit to a primary station while not actually engaged in a call. The primary station transmits a random access channel availability (AV) message (302) once per frame to inform secondary stations about the resources currently available. Hence a secondary station can select a channel known to be free. If no channels are available the secondary station can avoid a wasted access attempt.

Abstract: A wireless network employs at least a base station (1 to 3) and a plurality of assigned terminals (4 to 14) for exchanging user data and control data. That base station (1 to 3) includes a device (21, 22) for correlating a signaling sequence transmitted by at least one terminal (4 to 14) to indicate the wish to use a contention channel and for detecting the pulse evolved from a received and correlated signaling sequence. After a signaling sequence has been detected, the base station (1 to 3) transmits a provision message over a contention channel to be utilized by the assigned terminals (4 to 14).

Abstract: A wireless communications system, together with devices to be clustered to make up such a system. The system operates a one-button initiated installation procedure whereby a device not previously installed will determine whether it is within transmission range of a device cluster in installation mode. If so, the device adopts the cluster address and goes through a routine of selecting a device address unique within the cluster. If there is no existing cluster in installation mode, the device selects a network address different to any other within transmission range, as well as a device address. The same one-button procedure places an installed device in a mode to initiate a new device to a cluster. Through a periodic enrolment procedure, performed by each device in a cluster, all devices are enabled to maintain their own list of required functionalities in other devices and to address them directly, thereby removing any requirement for one of the devices to act as a base station.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thin film capacitor with a carrier substrate, at least two interdigitated electrodes, and a dielectric. A staggered arrangement of at least one interdigitated electrode below the dielectric with respect to an interdigitated electrode above the dielectric results in a breakdown-resistant thin film capacitor which can be manufactured in the same production process as a standard monolayer capacitor.

Abstract: A method of producing a top gate thin-film transistor comprises the steps of forming doped silicon source and drain regions (6a,8a) on an insulating substrate (2) and subjecting the face of the substrate (2) on which the source and drain regions (6a,8a) are formed to plasma treatment to form a doped surface layer. An amorphous silicon layer (12) is formed on the doped surface layer over at least the spacing between the source and drain regions (6a,8a) and an insulated gate structure (14,16) is formed over the amorphous silicon layer (12). Laser annealing of areas of the amorphous silicon layer not shielded by the gate conductor is carried out to form polysilicon portions (12a,12b) having the impurities diffused therein. In the method of the invention, doped silicon source and drain regions underlie the silicon layer to be crystallized using the laser annealing process. It has been found that the laser annealing process can then result in crystallization of the full thickness of the amorphous silicon layer.

Abstract: A receiver having a phase-locked loop (PLL) for synchronizing its oscillator with a carrier (CA). A calibration circuit (CAL) calibrates the phase-locked loop's oscillator (OSC) in the following manner. It measures (FMC) the frequency difference (dF) between a nominal frequency (Fnom) of the carrier (CA) and a frequency (Fosc) of the phase-locked loop's oscillator (OSC). Furthermore, it adjusts the frequency (Fosc) of the PLL oscillator in accordance with the measured frequency difference (dF). As a result, the phase-locked loop's oscillator will be substantially tuned to the nominal frequency of the carrier. The actual frequency of the carrier may differ from the nominal frequency. In general, such a difference will be sufficiently small for the phase-locked loop (PLL) to capture the carrier (CA).

Abstract: A Sigma-Delta modulator(10) comprises a signal put(34) coupled to a forward filter comprising a series connection of a plurality of N summing stages(28, 30, 32), where N is an integer of at least 2, alternating with a corresponding plurality of integrating stages(40, 42, 44) and an analogue to digital converter(ADC)(18) having an input coupled to an output of the Nth integrating stage(44) and an output. A feedback filter comprises a feedback coupling from the output of the ADC(18) to a digital to analogue converter(DAC)(26) which is coupled to an input of each of the summing stages by way of respective weights(46, 48, 50). Control means(66) including switching means (58, 64) are provided for changing the order of the modulator. To reduce the order and increase the bandwidth, the control means by-passes the first(40) of the integrating stages and uses the second(42) of the integrating stages as a first of the integrating stages and vice versa to increase the order and decrease the bandwidth.

Abstract: In a normally black double cell, grey scale enhancement is obtained by dividing pixels in the driving cell into sub-pixels which are rotated preferably through 180° with respect to each other.

Abstract: A method of producing a top gate thin-film transistor comprises the steps of forming doped silicon source and drain regions (6a,8a) on an insulating substrate (2) and subjecting the face of the substrate (2) on which the source and drain regions (6a,8a) are formed to plasma treatment to form a doped surface layer. An amorphous silicon layer (12) is formed on the doped surface layer over at least the spacing between the source and drain regions (6a,8a) and an insulated gate structure (14,16) is formed over the amorphous silicon layer (12). Laser annealing of areas of the amorphous silicon layer not shielded by the gate conductor is carried out to form polysilicon portions (12a,12b) having the impurities diffused therein. In the method of the invention, doped silicon source and drain regions underlie the silicon layer to be crystallized using the laser annealing process. It has been found that the laser annealing process can then result in crystallization of the full thickness of the amorphous silicon layer.

Abstract: A method of code phase correlation and apparatus (10 to 15) implementing the same is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of (a) receiving a subject signal comprising a target pseudorandom noise code; (b) generating early and late replica code signals corresponding to the target code; (c) correlating the subject signal with the early and late replica code signals and returning respective early and late correlation values; and (d) calculating a code phase discriminator for determining whether the target code has been acquired as a function of the sum of the early and late correlation values.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor body (1) which is provided at a surface (2) with a non-volatile memory cell comprising a source (3) and a drain (4), and an access gate (14) which is electrically insulated from a gate structure (8) comprising a control gate (9), the gate structure (8) being electrically insulated from the semiconductor body (1) by a gate dielectric (11,25). The gate dielectric (11,25) is provided with a charge-storage region wherein data in the form of electric charge can be stored. The access gate (14) has a substantially flat surface portion (17) extending substantially parallel to the surface (2) of the semiconductor body (1) and has the shape of a block which is disposed against the gate structure (8) without overlapping the gate structure (8).

Abstract: An antenna diversity arrangement (200) comprises a plurality of antennas (204a, 204b) capable of forming a plurality of antenna beams. The amplitude and phase relationships between the signals driving each of the antennas (204a, 204b) are first determined for an arrangement where each antenna is replaced by a point source. The results of this analysis are then transformed by reference to the characteristics of the real antenna arrangement (200) to determine appropriate driving signals.

Abstract: The variable bitrate coding method according to the invention comprises an iterative process including a first analysis pass and a second prediction pass and followed by a last control step for adjusting said stepsize with respect to said target bitrate. According to the invention, a picture re-arrangement step is provided between the analysis and prediction steps of one iteration, in order to encode with an improved quality the picture sequence.

Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor device comprising a substrate (1) comprising for instance silicon with thereon a layer (2, 4) comprising at least organic material which contains a passage (6, 8) to the substrate (1). The passage (6,8) has walls (7, 9) transverse to the layer (2, 4). A metal layer (11) is applied on the substrate (1) in at least that portion which adjoins the passage (8). The organic material forming the walls (7, 9) of the passage (6, 8) is covered with an oxide liner (12), and the passage (6, 8) is filled with a metal (14). According to the invention, a metal liner (13) comprising Ti or Ta is provided between the oxide liner (12) and the metal (14) filling the passage (6, 8). It is achieved by this that the device has a better barrier between the organic material (2, 4) and the interconnection metal (14) and that the organic material (2, 4) has a better protection during the various steps of the process.