Abstract: A device for modulating the phase of a light beam includes a matrix of elementary cells, called pixels, coupled to a circuit for addressing the pixels, the device further comprising a set of so-called lateral electrodes extending in a so-called vertical direction (Y) at right angles to the alignment direction (Xa) and configured to apply, for each pixel and via at least two lateral electrodes, a so-called acceleration voltage generating a lateral electrical field (Era) substantially parallel to the alignment direction, in a vector allowing an accelerated return of the liquid crystal molecules to their orientation of rest, the acceleration voltage being configured to be applied in a phase called acceleration relaxation phase, when the activation voltage is no longer applied.

Abstract: A multichannel transmit and/or receive system, each channel includes a DAC and a sigma-delta modulator the transfer function of which is expressed thus: OUT(z)=IN(z)·FTS(z)+Q(z)·FTB(z), where OUT is the output signal of the sigma-delta modulator, IN is the input signal of the sigma-delta modulator, FTS is the transfer function of the input signal, Q is the quantization noise and FTB is the transfer function of the quantization noise, the second terms of the transfer function of the sigma-delta modulator only being distinct from one another for two channels Vi, Vj, in order to decorrelate the quantization noise of distinct channels, the first term of said transfer function for channel Vi being equal to the first term of said transfer function for channel Vj.

Abstract: A device for modulating the phase of a light beam includes a matrix of elementary cells, called pixels, coupled to a circuit for addressing the pixels, the device further comprising a set of so-called lateral electrodes extending in a so-called vertical direction (Y) at right angles to the alignment direction (Xa) and configured to apply, for each pixel and via at least two lateral electrodes, a so-called acceleration voltage generating a lateral electrical field (Era) substantially parallel to the alignment direction, in a vector allowing an accelerated return of the liquid crystal molecules to their orientation of rest, the acceleration voltage being configured to be applied in a phase called acceleration relaxation phase, when the activation voltage is no longer applied.

Abstract: The present description relates to a comparator (2) comprising a ring of gates (110A, 110B, 110A?, 110B?, 106, 108) in series, wherein: each gate implements an inverting function between a first input (100) and an output (102) of the gate; at least one (110A?, 110B?) gate is controllable and is associated with another gate; each controllable gate (110A?, 110B?) comprises a control input (116) coupled with the output (102) of said associated gate, and prevents switching of its output (102) to a high state if its control input (116) is in the high state, and to a low state otherwise; and the control input (116) of each controllable gate (110A?, 110B?) receives the output (102) of said associated gate if an even number of gates separates these two gates, and receives the complement of said output if not.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a scene descriptor generation system, including an image sensor including a plurality of pixels, successively supplying S binary image planes, each including a single binary value per pixel; and a processing circuit configured to, for each binary image plane supplied by the sensor (100), to implement the successive steps of: a) calculating N convolutions of the binary image plane with respectively N distinct convolution kernels, to provide N convolved images; b) generating at least one meta-image from the N convolved images supplied at step a); and c) for each of the N convolved images supplied at step a), generating a binary descriptor from said convolved image and from said at least one meta-image.

Abstract: The present description concerns a comparator (1) of a first voltage (V+) and of a second voltage (V?), comprising first (100) and second (102) branches each comprising a same succession of alternated first (106) and second (108) gates in series between a node (104) and an output (1002; 1022) of the branch (100; 102), wherein: each branch starts with a first gate (106), each gate (106; 108) has a second node (114) receiving a bias voltage, the second node (114) of each first gate (106) of the first branch (100) and of each second gate (108) of the second branch (102) receives the first voltage (V+), the second node of the other gates receiving the second voltage (V?), and an order of arrival of the edges on the outputs (1002; 1022) of the branches determines a result of a comparison.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of performing, by an image processing circuit, an inference operation comprising: capturing first and second images using first and second values respectively of an image capture parameter; generating, for a first region of the first and second images, first and second estimates respectively of an image quality metric, wherein the image quality metric is dependent on the value of the image capture parameter; calculating first and second distances between the first and second estimates respectively and first and second target levels respectively; and supplying a result of the inference operation performed on the first region of either the first or second image selected based on the first and second distances.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an imaging system, including: a coherent light source delivering an object beam and a reference beam; a device of modulation of the object beam with a modulation signal; an image sensor arranged to receive an interference pattern resulting from a combination of the object beam and of the reference beam; and a demodulation device, the system being configured to, during a measurement phase: apply to the modulation signal a first pseudo-random sequence of jumps of a parameter selected among the phase, the frequency, and the amplitude; and simultaneously apply to the modulated portion of the object beam a second pseudo-random sequence of jumps of said parameter, wherein the first and second sequences of jumps of said parameter are non-correlated.

Abstract: The present description concerns a comparator (1) of a first voltage (V+) and of a second voltage (V?), comprising first (100) and second (102) branches each comprising a same succession of alternated first (106) and second (108) gates in series between a node (104) and an output (1002; 1022) of the branch (100; 102), wherein: each branch starts with a first gate (106), each gate (106; 108) has a second node (114) receiving a bias voltage, the second node (114) of each first gate (106) of the first branch (100) and of each second gate (108) of the second branch (102) receives the first voltage (V+), the second node of the other gates receiving the second voltage (V?), and an order of arrival of the edges on the outputs (1002; 1022) of the branches determines a result of a comparison.

Abstract: The present description relates to a comparator (2) comprising a ring of gates (110A, 110B, 110A?, 110B?, 106, 108) in series, wherein: each gate implements an inverting function between a first input (100) and an output (102) of the gate; at least one (110A?, 110B?) gate is controllable and is associated with another gate; each controllable gate (110A?, 110B?) comprises a control input (116) coupled with the output (102) of said associated gate, and prevents switching of its output (102) to a high state if its control input (116) is in the high state, and to a low state otherwise; and the control input (116) of each controllable gate (110A?, 110B?) receives the output (102) of said associated gate if an even number of gates separates these two gates, and receives the complement of said output if not.

Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a sensor for the acquisition of an optical signal modulated at an acoustic frequency, including a plurality of pixels, each including: a photodiode; an integration circuit configured to, at each period of the modulated optical signal, integrate a photocurrent delivered by the photodiode successively into K capacitors, K being an integer greater than or equal to 2; and a phase detection circuit configured to detect an order in the crossing of a predetermined voltage threshold by the K capacitors and to generate, according to the detected order, a signal representative of the phase of the modulated optical signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a scene descriptor generation system, including an image sensor including a plurality of pixels, successively supplying S binary image planes, each including a single binary value per pixel; and a processing circuit configured to, for each binary image plane supplied by the sensor (100), to implement the successive steps of: a) calculating N convolutions of the binary image plane with respectively N distinct convolution kernels, to provide N convolved images; b) generating at least one meta-image from the N convolved images supplied at step a); and c) for each of the N convolved images supplied at step a), generating a binary descriptor from said convolved image and from said at least one meta-image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an imaging system, including: a coherent light source delivering an object beam and a reference beam; a device of modulation of the object beam with a modulation signal; an image sensor arranged to receive an interference pattern resulting from a combination of the object beam and of the reference beam; and a demodulation device, the system being configured to, during a measurement phase: apply to the modulation signal a first pseudo-random sequence of jumps of a parameter selected among the phase, the frequency, and the amplitude; and simultaneously apply to the modulated portion of the object beam a second pseudo-random sequence of jumps of said parameter, wherein the first and second sequences of jumps of said parameter are non-correlated.

Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a sensor for the acquisition of an optical signal modulated at an acoustic frequency, including a plurality of pixels, each including: a photodiode; an integration circuit configured to, at each period of the modulated optical signal, integrate a photocurrent delivered by the photodiode successively into K capacitors, K being an integer greater than or equal to 2; and a phase detection circuit configured to detect an order in the crossing of a predetermined voltage threshold by the K capacitors and to generate, according to the detected order, a signal representative of the phase of the modulated optical signal.

Abstract: A method of processing an image including pixels distributed in cells and in blocks is disclosed, the method including the steps of: a) for each cell, generating n first intensity values of gradients having different orientations, each first value being a weighted sum of the values of the pixels of the cell; b) for each cell, determining a main gradient orientation of the cell and a second value representative of the intensity of the gradient in the main orientation; c) for each block, generating a descriptor of n values respectively corresponding, for each of the n gradient orientations, to the sum of the second values of the cells of the block having the gradient orientation considered as the main gradient orientation.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of performing intra-frame and inter-frame image processing comprising: alternating first and second image capture operations, the first image capture operation comprises capturing one or more first images (IA) based on a first set of image capture parameters (PA) and the second image capture operation comprises capturing one or more second images (IB) based on a second set of image capture parameters (PB), the values of the parameters of the first set being modified between each of the first image capture operations and the values of the parameters of the second set remaining constant between each of the second image capture operations or varying by less than a significant amount.

Abstract: An image sensor including: a plurality of pixels, each pixel being capable of supplying an output signal representative of a quantity of light energy received from a time of beginning of a pixel integration phase; and a control circuit configured to, during a phase of acquisition of an image, successively select each pixel a number n of times during a same pixel integration phase, without resetting the pixel between the first and the last selection of the pixel and, for each selection of a pixel, compare the output signal of the pixel with a quantization threshold and read a binary signal representative of the result of the comparison.

Abstract: A compensated comparator is provided, including a decision stage and a differential stage provided with two transistors connected by their sources, the differential stage being provided with compensation means to compensate the effects of a dispersion of the threshold voltages of the transistors forming the differential stage, the compensation means including first and second capacitors each connected to a gate of one of the two transistors, and being configured to memorize a voltage that is a function of a threshold voltage of the considered transistors.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of performing intra-frame and inter-frame image processing comprising: alternating first and second image capture operations, the first image capture operation comprises capturing one or more first images (IA) based on a first set of image capture parameters (PA) and the second image capture operation comprises capturing one or more second images (IB) based on a second set of image capture parameters (PB), the values of the parameters of the first set being modified between each of the first image capture operations and the values of the parameters of the second set remaining constant between each of the second image capture operations or varying by less than a significant amount.

Abstract: An electronic system including: a sensor (201) capable of successively supplying n vectors Li each including k values Li(j); and an electronic device (403) for processing on the fly the values measured by the sensor, including: a first stage (407) capable, each time a vector Li has been supplied by the sensor, of multiplying the k values Li(j) of vector Li by respectively k coefficients bi(j), and of supplying a vector T1i of k values T1i(j); a second stage (409) capable, each time a vector T1i has been supplied, of multiplying vector T1i by a matrix à of k*p coefficients, and of supplying a vector T2i of p values T2i(l); and a third stage (411) capable of digitally integrating the n vectors T2i and of supplying an output vector IT of p values IT(l).