Abstract: A device includes a transmission circuit that is configured and arranged to transmit data in accordance with a signal bus protocol that uses passive bias to set a signal bus to a recessive value in the absence of an actively-driven signal value. The transmission circuit includes a first driver circuit that is configured and arranged to actively drive the signal bus to a dominant value that is different from the recessive value. The transmission circuit also includes a second driver circuit that is configured and arranged to actively drive the signal bus to the recessive value. A control circuit is configured and arranged to disable the second driver circuit in response to the device operating in a first data transmission mode, and to enable the second driver circuit in response to the device entering a second transmission mode.

Abstract: An integrated circuit and a method of making the same. The integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate having a major surface. The integrated circuit also includes a directional light sensor. The directional light sensor includes a plurality of photodetectors located on the major surface. The directional light sensor also includes one or more barriers, wherein each barrier is positioned to shade one or more of the photodetectors from light incident upon the integrated circuit from a respective direction. The directional light sensor is operable to determine a direction of light incident upon the integrated circuit by comparing an output signal of at least two of the photodetectors.

Abstract: A wireless charger is disclosed. The charger contains a coil with a plurality of taps, thereby facilitating charging according to different frequencies and standards. Detection of the standard appropriate to a particular receiver may be accomplished by modulation of the power carrier or via low power modalities, including NFC or Bluetooth.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards apparatus useful for controlling low drop out linear regulators during startup. A voltage regulator device can generate a regulated output voltage from an input voltage and in response to a reference voltage that has, during a startup period, a delayed ramp up relative to a corresponding ramp up of the input voltage. An error circuit generates an error signal in response to a comparison between the output voltage and the reference voltage. An output circuit includes a power transistor that is activated in response to the error signal. A startup control circuit can override, during the startup period for the voltage regulator device, the error signal and thereby counteract activation of the power transistor.

Abstract: An integrated circuit and a method of making the same. The integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate having a major surface. The integrated circuit also includes a directional light sensor. The directional light sensor includes a plurality of photodetectors located on the major surface. The directional light sensor also includes one or more barriers, wherein each barrier is positioned to shade one or more of the photodetectors from light incident upon the integrated circuit from a respective direction. The directional light sensor is operable to determine a direction of light incident upon the integrated circuit by comparing an output signal of at least two of the photodetectors.

Abstract: A integrated Doherty amplifier circuit comprising a main input terminal, a peak input terminal and an output terminal, a main input conductor and a peak input conductor that are offset from one another in a first direction, the main and peak input conductors extend in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein an input end of the main input conductor is coupled to the main input terminal and an input end of the peak input conductor is coupled to the peak input terminal, an output conductor that extends in the second direction, an output end of the output conductor is coupled to the output terminal, a main amplifier stage extends in the second direction and has a main stage input and a main stage output, a peak amplifier stage extends in the second direction and has a peak stage input and a peak stage output.

Abstract: A circuit is disclosed for driving a plurality of LED strings from an AC supply and arranged to, in use, drive current through a series arrangement of a plurality N of the LED strings when the AC voltage is sufficient to drive the plurality N of the LED strings: the circuit comprising a first current source configured to be switchably connected to a one end of said series arrangement of N LED strings; a series combination of a second current source and a heat dissipater, wherein the series combination of the second current source and the heat dissipater is arranged in parallel with the first current source; and a current balancer for balancing the current through the first current source and the second current source. A driver for such a circuit is also disclosed.

Abstract: An oscillator circuit (702; 802) comprising first and second resonator terminals (710, 712; 810, 812) for connecting to respective terminals of a resonator (704; 804). The oscillator circuit also comprises a first inverting amplifier (706; 806) connected between the first and second resonator terminals (710, 712; 810, 812) in a first mode of operation; and a back to back pair of second inverting amplifiers (706, 708; 806, 808) connected between the first and second resonator terminals (710, 712; 810, 812) in a second mode of operation. There is also provided a controller configured to compare an operational parameter of the oscillator circuit (702; 802) to a switchover threshold, and switch the oscillator circuit (702; 802) from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation when the operational parameter exceeds the switchover threshold.

Abstract: Power consumption of near-field communication devices is regulated by waking the device for communications when a potential external near-field device is detected, and by adjusting the resonant antenna circuit to account for the detected change in antenna environment. Such near-field communication devices include a resonant loop antenna circuit. The resonant loop antenna circuit is connected to an integrated circuit that includes a controller for controlling near-field communications via the resonant loop antenna circuit, an inductance detection circuit to detect changes in the antenna inductance, a wake-on circuit responsive to a sufficient change in antenna inductance to transition the controller from a low power sleep mode to a communications mode, and an antenna tuning circuit to adjust the variable component of the resonant loop antenna circuit to compensate for changes in antenna inductance and to maintain the target range of operation.

Abstract: A power stage has a differential output stage 2 driven by one or more buffer stages 4. The buffer stages 4 are implemented as high and low side buffers 12,14, each of which is itself a differential buffer implemented using transistors formed in an isolated-well technology such as triple-well CMOS.

Abstract: A level shifter for a set of at least three phase-shifted signals is disclosed. The level shifter comprises an odd plural number of inverters arranged in a ring. A supply terminal of each inverter is coupled to a supply rail via a respective switching device, which is controlled by the phase-shifted signals.

Abstract: A track and hold circuit has a main transistor for which the gate voltage is provided by a buffer circuit which is supplied with a different voltage supply than the circuit of the main transistor. This avoids the need for a bootstrap circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated circuit comprising a substrate (10) including semiconductor devices and a metallization stack (20) over said substrate for interconnecting said devices, the metallization stack comprising a cavity (36), and a thermal conductivity sensor comprising at least one conductive portion (16, 18) of said metallization stack suspended in said cavity. A method of manufacturing such an IC is also disclosed.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention a method for calibrating a measurement device is conceived wherein: a calibration device is brought into close proximity of the measurement device such that a data communication link is established between the measurement device and the calibration device; wherein the following steps are performed while the calibration device and the measurement device are in close proximity of each other: the calibration device performs a measurement of at least one physical phenomenon; the measurement device performs a measurement of the same physical phenomenon; the result of the measurement by the measurement device is compared with the result of the measurement by the calibration device; and calibration parameters are computed based on a difference between the result of the measurement by the measurement device and the result of the measurement by the calibration device.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention a configuration method for configuring a host device in a control system is conceived, in particular a building control system, wherein an authorized configuration device exchanges confidential configuration data with a radio frequency identification tag coupled to the host device, wherein, after the confidential configuration data have been exchanged and a corresponding configuration operation has been performed, access to the confidential configuration data by an unauthorized configuration device is precluded. According to further aspects of the invention a corresponding configuration device, a corresponding computer program product and a corresponding control system are conceived.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated circuit comprising a substrate including at least one light sensor; an interconnect structure over the substrate; at least one passivation layer over the interconnect structure, said passivation layer including a first area over the at least one light sensor; and a gas sensor such as a moisture sensor at least partially on a further area of the at least one passivation layer, wherein the gas sensor comprises a gas sensitive layer in between a first electrode and a second electrode, the gas sensitive layer further comprising a portion over the first area. A method of manufacturing such an IC is also disclosed.

Abstract: A power amplifier circuit uses an output transistor and a cascode transistor. First and second drive circuits apply gate control signals to the two transistors, which rise and fall in synchronism, and this is such that the voltage drop across the cascode transistor is reduced (compared to a constant gate voltage being applied to the output transistor).

Abstract: A processing unit for processing a multi-channel audio signal has a delay element (40) for delaying an FM sum signal (sum) and a converter arrangement (T) for converting an FM difference signal (duff) and a noise signal (diffnoise) to the frequency domain. Frequency-based noise suppression is used to derive a de-noised frequency-domain difference signal using a gain function which is limited to a maximal and a minimal value. This is then converted to the time domain, and the first and second audio signals are calculated from a delayed sum signal (sum2) and the de-noised time domain difference signal (diff2).

Abstract: A method (and system) of processing image data in which a depth map is processed to derive a modified depth map by analysing luminance and/or chrominance information in respect of the set of pixels of the image data. The depth map is modified using a function which correlates depth with pixel height in the pixellated image and which has a different correlation between depth and pixel height for different luminance and/or chrominance values.

Abstract: A semiconductor package, comprises an encapsulant which contains a semiconductor substrate, the package lower side being mountable on a surface. The semiconductor substrate backside is in close proximity of the semiconductor package lower side for improved thermal conductivity to the surface. The active side of the semiconductor substrate, facing the upper side of the semiconductor package, has a plurality of die contacts. A plurality of electrically conductive interconnects are connected to the die contacts and extend to the lower side of the semiconductor package for connecting the die contacts to the surface.