Abstract: In one embodiment, a battery charger can include: (i) a step-up converter configured to generate an output signal by boosting a DC input voltage, where a threshold voltage is greater than the DC input voltage; (ii) a charging control circuit configured to receive the output signal from the step-up converter, and to control charging of a battery; (iii) the charging control circuit being configured to regulate the output signal to maintain a charging current for the battery charging as a trickle current when a battery voltage is less than the threshold voltage; and (iv) the charging control circuit being configured to charge the battery directly by the output signal when the battery voltage is greater than the threshold voltage.

Abstract: A method of detecting one or more faults in a semiconductor device that includes generating a first test pattern set from a primary node list and a fault list. The primary node list includes one or more nodes and the fault list identifies one or more faults. The method also includes generating one or more secondary node lists from the primary node list and generating a second test pattern set from at least the first test pattern set and the secondary node list. Each node of the one or more nodes of the primary node list is associated with a corresponding secondary node list of the one or more secondary node lists.

Abstract: One aspect provides an apparatus configured to receive wireless charging power and wired charging power. The apparatus includes a first rectifier configured to receive wired charging power and to provide a first rectified output. The apparatus further includes a second rectifier configured to receive wireless charging power and to provide a second rectified output. The apparatus further includes a power-factor correction (PFC) module configured to receive the first and second rectified outputs, and further configured to provide a power-factor corrected output. The apparatus further includes an isolated DC-DC converter configured to receive the power-factor corrected output and to provide an isolated DC output. The apparatus further includes and a battery configured to receive the isolated DC output.

Abstract: Design and verification support related to integrated circuits that includes acquiring a first use case diagram representing a function of an object subject to design and verification and an activity diagram representing a processing procedure of the object; analyzing a structure of the activity diagram acquired at the acquiring step; converting the activity diagram to a second use case diagram representing a function of the object, based on the structure analyzed at the analyzing; verifying uniformity of the first use case diagram and the second use case diagram; and outputting a verification result obtained at the verifying uniformity.

Abstract: Described is an energy share pack comprising a housing, at least one energy storage component within the housing, at least one energy conversion component within the housing, and a connection point for connecting to more than one of energy users, energy sources and other energy share packs simultaneously for sharing energy. The energy share pack may have an energy generation component for generating harvestable energy, and two or more ports of any combination of the following types: bidirectional power port, bidirectional USB port, unidirectional output power port, and unidirectional input power port. The share pack ports may operate simultaneously at different voltage levels, and at least one port may be bi-directional. Furthermore, the share packs may have an integrated display for providing information on the energy share pack in which the display is integrated and information about other energy share packs connected thereto.

Abstract: Semiconductor device design methods and conductive bump pattern enhancement methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of designing a semiconductor device includes designing a conductive bump pattern design, and implementing a conductive bump pattern enhancement algorithm on the conductive bump pattern design to create an enhanced conductive bump pattern design. A routing pattern is designed based on the enhanced conductive bump pattern design. A design rule checking (DRC) procedure is performed on the routing pattern.

Abstract: A portable device recharging system includes a base unit generating an electromagnetic field. A portable device includes a rechargeable battery inductively charged by the electromagnetic field. Spacers are disposed between the portable device and the base unit. The spacers support the portable device and maintain an air gap between the base unit and the portable device.

Abstract: Various embodiments for determining parameters for wafer inspection and/or metrology are provided.

Abstract: A power receiver is configured to supply current to a load and to be wirelessly operatively coupled to a power transmitter and includes a plurality of inductive elements. The power receiver further includes a circuit operatively coupled to the plurality of inductive elements and configured to be selectively switched among a plurality of coupling states. The circuit is further configured to be selectively switched such that each inductive element has a reactance state of a plurality of reactance states. The power receiver further includes a controller configured to select the coupling state and to select the reactance state of each inductive element based on one or more signals indicative of one or more operating parameters of at least one of the power receiver and the power transmitter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for camouflaging an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), wherein the ASIC comprises a plurality of interconnected functional logic is disclosed. The method adds functionally inert elements to the logical description or provides alternative definitions of standard logic cells to make it difficult for reverse engineering programs to be used to discover the circuit's function.

Abstract: An efficient electronic cigarette charging device and a method for efficiently charging an electronic cigarette are provided, the device comprises an electronic cigarette case and a battery rod, the battery rod includes a charging management unit and an electronic cigarette battery unit, the electronic cigarette case includes an electronic cigarette case battery unit, a current sample unit, a micro-control unit and a adjustable voltage output unit, the current sample unit is configured to sample actual charging current the charging management unit to the electronic cigarette battery, and the micro-control unit is configured to compare the actual charging current with default battery constant charging current, and further control the adjustable voltage output unit to adjust the charging voltage output.

Abstract: An improved approach is provided to implement performance checking. A check is performed as to whether two designs are equivalent without needing to analyze their outputs on a cycle-by-cycle basis, where the two designs are checked to see if they are equivalent on the transaction-level. Thereafter, the outputs for the transactions are analyzed relative to delay time periods, which allows verification and identification of possible performance issues and differences between the two designs.

Abstract: A wireless energy transfer enabled battery includes a resonator that is positioned asymmetrically in a battery sized enclosure such that when two wirelessly enabled batteries are placed in close proximity the resonators of the two batteries have low coupling.

Abstract: According to an example embodiment, a balancing apparatus includes: bi-directional switches that are respectively connected to cells that are connected in series, a controller configured to measure voltages of the cells, and a multiwinding transformed connected to the bi-directional switches. The bi-directional switches are configured to control a flow of an electric current bi-directionally. The controller is configured to select a number of the cells for balancing based on the measured voltages of the cells. The controller is configured to turn on and turn off the bi-directional switches that are connected to selected cells based on the measured voltages. The multi-winding transformer is configured to transfer energy between the cells when the bi-directional switches connected to the selected cells are turned on.

Abstract: A protective circuit is provided. The protective circuit includes a charging unit, a voltage regulating unit, and a comparing unit. The charging unit receives a rise signal and an over-current signal, and outputs a first reference voltage. The voltage regulating unit receives the first reference voltage and adjusts an output voltage according, to the first reference voltage and a feedback voltage. The comparing unit receives the feedback voltage and compares the feedback voltage with a first threshold voltage to determine whether to output the rise signal to the charging unit.

Abstract: A method for mitigating voltage stress on a PCB includes applying AC voltage to a multi-terminal condenser structure of a multi-layered PCB. The terminal condenser structure is formed by overlapping a plurality of conductive traces between board layers of the multi-layered PCB. A corresponding dielectric layer is disposed between the overlapping conductive traces of the board layers. The overlapping conductive traces include a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal. The first terminal and the third terminal are disposed on a first layer of the multi-layered PCB, and the second terminal and the fourth terminal are disposed on a bottom layer of the multi-layered PCB. The first terminal and the second terminal are connected to a ground point, and the third terminal and the fourth terminal are connected to the AC voltage. Voltage stresses on the PCB are mitigated utilizing the multi-terminal condenser structure.

Abstract: A wireless energy transfer enabled battery includes a resonator that is positioned asymmetrically in a battery sized enclosure such that when two wirelessly enabled batteries are placed in close proximity the resonators of the two batteries have low coupling.

Abstract: An EDA tool for validating predefined timing paths having corresponding timing constraints in an integrated circuit (IC) design has a processor that performs a static-timing-analysis (STA) of the IC design and generates a STA report that includes the first set of timing constraints, which include a first number of clock cycles required for propagating the first multi-cycle timing path. A simulation-based checker based on a STA that counts a second number of clock cycles that is actually required by the first multi-cycle timing path to propagate is generated while performing a unit-delay, gate-level netlist simulation of the first-multiple cycle timing path. The first set of timing constraints then are modified so that the first multi-cycle timing path is redefined to require the second number of clock cycles to propagate.

Abstract: Apparatus comprises: an induction, coil (40) arrangement, the induction coil arrangement having a first set of at least one coil (41) with a first diameter and a second set of at least one coil (42) with a second diameter, the second diameter being different to the first diameter, a first tap (A) connected at a first end of the first set, a second tap (B) connected at connection common to a second end of the first set and a first end of the second set, and a third tap (C) connected at a second end of the second set; a power transmit arrangement (61) selectively connectable to a first combination of two of the first to third taps; and a power receive arrangement (62) selectively connectable to a second combination of two of the first to third taps, the second combination being different to the first combination.

Abstract: The amount of power generated by a solar cell is used for charging more efficiently. An activation determination means 4 activates a charging control circuit 3 by allowing a maximum output current from a solar cell 1 to a GND potential to flow and detecting that the output current is equal to or greater than current consumption of the charging control circuit 3 instead of monitoring an unstable output voltage from the solar cell 1. Thus, the charging control circuit 3 can be activated more precisely in comparison to a case where an output voltage is monitored under the condition that the charging control circuit 3 is operated only by the amount of power generated by the solar cell. Thereby, a power instrument 2 is charged more efficiently with the amount of power generated by the solar cell.