Abstract: The present invention relates to goggles (10) for providing feedback, in particular to a user, comprising at least one transparent portion (14) forming at least a portion of at least one glass (14) of the goggles (10), display means (18) for displaying light signals, wherein the display means (18) are integrated in the transparent portion (14), cover a surface of the transparent portion (14) at least partially and/or cover a surface of a frame (12) of the goggles (10) around the glass (14) at least partially, drive means (20) coupled to the display means (18) for providing signals to the display means (18) corresponding to the light signals to be displayed.

Abstract: A drive method is provided for a display device using the movement of 5 charged particles with a pixel area, with each pixel having first and second drive electrodes (20,23; 22) and a pixel electrode (26). The method comprises a reset phase to move the particles in each pixel towards the first drive electrode (20,23), a pixel data loading phase, to cause selected particles either to stay in the vicinity of the first drive electrode (20,23) or move towards the 10 pixel electrode (26), and a drive phase to distribute the particles which have moved towards the pixel electrode over the pixel electrode (26). The address phase is line-by-line but can be made short, and the other phases can be carried out in parallel for all pixels, saving time.

Abstract: A device having touch sensor input functionality, comprises first and second control electrodes (40,42) lying in a common plane. The device is operable in at least two modes, comprising: a first mode in which the light transmission characteristics are altered by controlling the movement of the charged particles under the influence of control signals applied to the first and second control electrodes; and a second mode in which the first and second control electrodes are coupled to a capacitance sensing means, for detecting a change in capacitance caused by the proximity of an object to be detected.

Abstract: An electrophoretic display device employs an electrophoretic display (100) and a display driver (110). The electrophoretic display (100) includes a matrix of display elements (30,40,50; P00-P99), and the display driver (110) establishes a homogenous distribution of electrically charged particles among the display elements (30,40,50; P00-P99), based on one or more generations of an in-plane electric force (INEF) for moving a homogeneous batch of electrically charged particles between two or more display elements (30,40,50; P00-P99).

Abstract: A record carrier (40) of a removable type has an information plane that is provided with a pattern of an electro-magnetic material constituting an array of bit locations (11). The presence or absence of said material at the information plane represent the value of a bit location. The device has an interface surface (32) for cooperating with the information plane. The interface surface is provided with an array of electro-magnetic sensor elements (54,56) that are sensitive to the presence of said electro-magnetic material within a near-field working distance. The record carrier and device system have alignment means (38,41) for positioning the bit locations near the sensor elements within the near-field working distance between a bit location and the corresponding sensor when the record carrier is mounted in the device.

Abstract: A storage device has an information carrier part (10) and a read-out part (30). The information carrier part (10) is provided with a pattern of an electro-magnetic material constituting an array of bit locations (11) and the presence or absence of said material at the information plane represents the logical value. The read-out part has a two-dimensional array (31) of electro-magnetic sensor elements that are sensitive to the presence of said electro-magnetic material on a near-field working distance. During manufacture the parts are fixedly coupled and aligned for positioning the bit locations opposite the sensor elements.

Abstract: A memory device has an information plane (32) for storing data bits in a magnetic state of an electro-magnetic material at an array of bit locations (31). The device further has an array of electro-magnetic sensor elements (51) that are aligned with the bit locations. The information plane (32) is programmable or programmed via a separate magnetic writing device (21). In particular a read-only sensor element (60) is described for a read-only magnetic memory.

Abstract: A memory device has an information plane (32) for storing data bits in a magnetic state of an electro-magnetic material at an array of bit locations (31). The device further has an array of electro-magnetic sensor elements (51) that are aligned with the bit locations. The information plane (32) is programmable or programmed via a separate writing device (21). The writing device provides at least one beam of radiation (26) for heating the electro-magnetic material at the bit locations to a programming temperature. The magnetic state of the bit locations is programmed by applying a magnetic field during said heating of selected bit locations via the beams of radiation. Hence the memory device provides a magnetic read-only memory (MROM) that cannot be (re-)programmed without the proper writing device.

Abstract: A record carrier (40) of a removable type has an information plane of a layer of magnetic material on a substrate constituting an array of bit locations (11). A magnetic state of the material represents the value of each bit location. A storage device (35) has an interface surface (32) for cooperating with the information plane. The interface surface has an array (31) of electro-magnetic elements that are sensitive to said magnetic state of the electro-magnetic material. The record carrier and device have alignment elements (38, 41) for positioning the bit locations near the electro-magnetic elements within a near-field working distance between a bit location and the corresponding electro-magnetic element when the record carrier is mounted in the device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for providing magnetic shielding for a circuit comprising magnetically sensitive materials, comprising actively shielding the circuit from a disturbing magnetic field. A corresponding semiconductor device is also provided. The method and device allows shielding for strong disturbing magnetic fields.

Abstract: Data, stored in MRAM-cells (12) should be protected against misuse or read-out by unauthorised persons. The present invention provides an array (10) of MRAM-cells (12) provided with a security device (14) for destroying data stored in the MRAM-cells (12) when they are tampered with. This is achieved by placing a permanent magnet (16) adjacent the MRAM-array (10) in combination with a soft-magnetic flux-closing layer (18). As long as the soft-magnetic layer (18) is present, the magnetic field lines (20) from the permanent magnet (16) are deviated and flow through this soft-magnetic layer (18). When somebody is tampering with the MRAM-array (10), e.g. by means of reverse engineering, and the flux-closing layer (18) is removed, the flux is no longer deviated and affects the nearby MRAM-array (10), thus destroying the data stored in the MRAM-cells (12).

Abstract: The present invention provides a special structure of magnetic elements, e.g. MRAM elements (10, 11), as a security device (30) for IC's containing magnetic memory cells. The structure may comprise a combination of two or more associated magnetic elements (10, 11) with pre-set anti-parallel magnetization directions. By determining the polarisation directions of the magnetic elements, exposure to an external magnetic field can be detected. Inverse polarisation directions indicate a normal situation, aligned polarisation directions indicate that the MRAM-array has been exposed to an external field. In this way it can be detected whether it has been tried to erase or alter the data stored in the MRAM in an illegal way. The IC can regularly check the resistance of the security system during operation. Upon detection of a field exposure, the IC can erase all MRAM data, or can reset itself or block its functioning.

Abstract: The information carrier (1) contains a storage unit (9), an integrated circuit (10) and a first and a second coupling element (31, 32). Said coupling elements (31, 32) are intermediate in the transfer of data and energy from a base station (50) to the integrated circuit (10) and vice versa. Between the base station (50) and said coupling elements (31, 32) the transfer of data and energy is contactless, and preferably by capacitive coupling. Between at least the first (31) of and preferably both of the coupling elements (31, 32) data and energy are transferred by means of capacitive coupling. The base station (50) is preferably incorporated in an apparatus (40) further containing the reading device (60) of the storage unit (9). To facilitate the capacitive coupling, the base station (50) contains a first and a second capacitor plate (54, 55).

Abstract: A current sensor (1) is disclosed for measuring a magnetic field (8) induced by a current of charged particles (3) having at least one magneto resistive sensor element (2;6;12;16) for enclosing the magnetic field induced by the current of charged particles, the magneto resistive sensor element being arranged perpendicularly to the current (3) during use. A method for accurately determining a current of charged particles is also disclosed making use of the current sensor (1). Further a protective switch device (30) is disclosed for protecting a user of an electrical device (31) by switching a supply current to the electric device off in case of malfunction of the electric device is also provided comprising the above current sensor (1).

Abstract: Magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) is used to provide in-pixel memory circuits for display devices. A memory circuit (25) comprises memory elements, for storing a drive setting, and a read-out circuit, for example a flip-flop circuit (64), for reading-out the stored drive setting. The memory elements comprise two MRAMs (60, 62), each coupled to a respective input of the flip-flop circuit (64). A drive circuit (26) is coupled to the read-out circuit and a pixel display electrode (27) for driving the pixel display electrode (27) dependent upon the read-out drive setting with drive current that does not pass through the MRAMs (60, 62). A display device (1) is provided comprising a plurality of pixels (20) each associated with one such memory circuit (25) and drive circuit (26).

Abstract: Magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) is used to provide in-pixel memory circuits for display devices. A memory circuit (25) comprises two MRAMs (60, 62), each coupled to a respective input of a flip-flop circuit (64). A display device (1) is provided comprising a plurality of pixels (20) each associated with a memory circuit (25). One of the MRAMs is a switchable MRAM (60), the other MRAM is a reference MRAM (62) arranged to provide a reference by which the changed states of the switchable MRAM (60) may be readily observed and measured in the form of a differential.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive device (11) having a lateral structure and provided with a non-magnetic spacer layer (3) of organic semiconductor material allows the presence of an additional electrode (19). With this electrode (19), a switch-function is integrated into the device (11). Preferably, electrically conductive layers (13,23) are present for the protection of the ferromagnetic layers (1,2). The magnetoresistive device (11) is suitable for integration into an array so as to act as an MRAM device.

Abstract: Magnetic device cells such as MRAM cells are described which can be used in sub-micron cell sizes. The present invention describes a method of stabilising magnetic device cells by creating a storage state where the two magnetisation directions of the spin valve are anti-parallel when no readout is performed. This avoids the problem at such small dimensions, that the parallel state of magnetisation directions in a spin valve or a spin tunnel junction become unstable. A high coercivity memory layer is combined with a low coercivity keeper layer. The read out process has also been simplified: only one pulse over the bit line and measurement of the resistance in the word line is sufficient to determine the data stored in a magnetic device cell according to the present invention.