Abstract: A receiver includes at least a first amplifier configured to receive a received signal and provide a first amplified signal based thereon, a mixer configured to receive the first amplified signal and provide an intermediate frequency signal based thereon and a second amplifier configured to receive the intermediate frequency signal and provide a second amplified signal based thereon. An automatic gain controller for the receiver is configured to, based on a first overload signal indicative of a first frequency range of the first amplified signal having one or more frequency components exceeding a first maximum signal power threshold and a second overload signal indicative of a second frequency range, narrower than the first, of the second amplified signal having one or more frequency components exceeding a second maximum signal power threshold, provide for control of a respective gain of one or both of the first amplifier and the second amplifier.

Abstract: An integrated circuit comprising a transceiver including a transformer. The transformer includes an input coupled to one or more primary windings. The transformer also includes a first differential output coupled to a first set of one or more secondary windings. The transformer further includes a second differential output coupled to a second, different set of one or more secondary windings. A method of making an integrated circuit comprising a transceiver. The method includes forming a plurality of components on and/or in a semiconductor substrate. At least one of the components comprises a transformer. The method includes forming the transformer by forming one or more primary windings coupled to an input, forming a first set of one or more secondary windings coupled to a first differential output, and forming a second, different set of one or more secondary windings coupled to a second differential output.

Abstract: An amplifier includes a supply voltage terminal and a reference voltage terminal and an input terminal. An amplifier arrangement includes a first and second branch coupled between the supply and reference voltage terminals, and one or more transistors configured to provide current flow through each of the branches based on the input signal at the input terminal. A first output terminal is coupled to the first branch to provide a first output signal based on the current flow therethrough. A second output terminal is coupled to the second branch to provide a second output signal based on the current flow therethrough. An impedance-modifying circuit is coupled to the second output terminal to provide a voltage variation in the second output signal in response to the input signal greater than a voltage variation in the first output signal in response to the input signal.

Abstract: A safety valve releases a fluid in the event of a fire. To do so it comprises a valve shutter in a body for opening or closing a pipe containing the fluid. A first spring is kept under tension against heat-sensitive means for releasing the valve shutter when the tension is released by the sensitive means. The sensitive means comprise a piston acting on the first spring, a pipe being connected to a chamber delimited in the body by the piston on the opposite side to the first spring. The pipe and the chamber contain a pressurized control fluid so that the piston keeps the first spring under tension. The pipe is made of a material capable of melting at a predetermined temperature so as to release the fluid in the event of a fire around the pipe.

Abstract: A multi-mode transceiver arrangement configured to provide for transmission and reception of signalling of a plurality of wireless sensor network protocols, the transceiver comprising; a single transmission path and a plurality of parallel receive paths; said transmission path including a modulator element configured to modulate, at any one time, a signal for transmission in accordance with a particular one of the plurality of wireless standards and a frequency reference element configured to provide a reference frequency to generate signalling for the antenna at a predetermined frequency; said receive paths each configured to receive signalling over a different, predetermined frequency band and including a demodulator to provide a demodulated signal for processing by a controller configured to provide signals to the transmission path and receive signals from the demodulators for symbol recognition thereby enabling the multi-mode transceiver to communicate with a plurality of wireless sensor networks simul

Abstract: The invention relates to a valve comprising a tubular body in which a valve stem moves axially, the head of the stem cooperating with a corresponding seat on the valve body, said stem acting against a coiled spring that is housed in a chamber of circular cross-section and disposed between a bearing zone at a first end of the chamber and the stem in order to return the stem to the seat, said spring comprising: a first end with a large turn of a diameter substantially identical to a diameter of the chamber at the first end; and a second end with a small turn connected to the shank or the head of the stem and a second large turn for centering and radial stabilization in the chamber.

Abstract: A method for processing ultrasonic signals includes: controlling a plurality of emission transducers for L successive emissions of ultrasonic waves; controlling N reception transducers to simultaneously receive and for a predetermined time, for each successive emission, N measurement signals; obtaining an array of ultrasonic time signals of size L×N, each coefficient Ki,j(t) of this array representing the measurement signal received by the j-th reception transducer due to the i-th emission; and denoising the time signal array by removing some of the singular values and associated singular vectors obtained from a singular value decomposition of a frequency signal array obtained by transforming this time signal array, and by reconstructing a denoised time signal array based on unremoved singular values and singular vectors.

Abstract: A multi-mode transceiver arrangement configured to provide for transmission and reception of signalling of a plurality of wireless sensor network protocols, the transceiver comprising; a single transmission path and a plurality of parallel receive paths; said transmission path including a modulator element configured to modulate, at any one time, a signal for transmission in accordance with a particular one of the plurality of wireless standards and a frequency reference element configured to provide a reference frequency to generate signalling for the antenna at a predetermined frequency; said receive paths each configured to receive signalling over a different, predetermined frequency band and including a demodulator to provide a demodulated signal for processing by a controller configured to provide signals to the transmission path and receive signals from the demodulators for symbol recognition thereby enabling the multi-mode transceiver to communicate with a plurality of wireless sensor networks simul

Abstract: A method for reconstructing geometry of an object surface via echographic probing, using an ultrasound probe including plural transducers, the method including: controlling the transducers to transmit towards the surface ultrasound waves having initial transmission delays between them; executing at least once a cycle of operations including receiving from the transducers intermediate measurement signals, correcting transmission delays of the transducers using intermediate measurement signals, and controlling the transducers to transmit towards the surface ultrasound waves having the corrected transmission delays; receiving from the transducers final measurement signals resulting from reflection of a wavefront received simultaneously on the surface; determining specular travel times between each transducer and the surface based on the final measurement signals and the corrected transmission delays; and perform geometric reconstitution of the surface based on the determined specular travel times.

Abstract: A safety valve releases a fluid in the event of a fire. To do so it comprises a valve shutter in a body for opening or closing a pipe containing the fluid. A first spring is kept under tension against heat-sensitive means for releasing the valve shutter ROM when the tension is released by the sensitive means. The sensitive means comprise a piston acting on the first spring, a pipe being connected to a chamber delimited in the body ROOM by the piston on the opposite side to the first spring. The pipe and the chamber contain a pressurized control fluid so that the piston keeps the first spring under tension. The pipe is made of a material capable of melting at a predetermined temperature so as to release the fluid in the event of a fire around the pipe.

Abstract: A device for a leakproof air-conditioning fluid circuit. A body includes a conduit having a foot at its base, coupled to a communication orifice in the periphery of a tube. A welding is made between an interior part of the base of the foot and a corresponding part of a tube having an orifice. An internal semi-cylindrical a portion of the base of the foot features, around the discharging conduit, a part in the shape of a skirt, formed by two straight or curved segments which together define a semi-cylindrical cradle in the interior wall of the tube. An orifice comprising a whistle-shaped notch in the back of the tube, comprises two complementary segments.

Abstract: A single tone RF signal generator and a method of generating a single tone RF signal. The single tone RF signal generator includes an output and a power amplifier that has an input. The power amplifier is operable to receive an RF signal including a first harmonic corresponding to a single tone signal to be produced by the signal generator. The power amplifier is also operable to amplify the RF signal. The power amplifier is further operable to provide the amplified RF signal to the output of the signal generator. The single tone RF signal generator further includes a feedback circuit connected between the output of the signal generator and the input of the power amplifier. The feedback circuit is configured to add one or more predistortion harmonics to the RF signal received by the power amplifier for cancelling harmonics in the amplified RF signal provided by the power amplifier.

Abstract: A method including control of M emission transducers for L successive ultrasound plane wave emissions having L different emission angles, control of N reception transducers for simultaneously receiving N measurement time signals for each emission and reconstitution of an imaged zone by calculating, at each point, a value resulting from a processing of the measurement time signals received. The reconstitution of the imaged zone includes calculating L?×N flight times, L??L, each flight time tl,n being the time taken for the l-th plane wave, the emission zone of which includes the point considered, where 1?l?L?, to be received by the n-th reception transducer, where 1?n?N, passing through the point considered according to a predetermined propagation mode, and coherent summing L?×N instantaneous values taken, respectively, by the L?×N measurement time signals received corresponding to the L? emissions, at the L?×N flight times.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a soil-treatment method and system, comprising at least one electricity generator (10) and at least two electrodes (11, 12), as well as at least one pumping device (20), characterised in that the system comprises at least one geocomposite (2) that contains at least one portion of at least one of said electrodes (11, 12) and which includes at least one filtering layer (21) and/or at least one draining layer (22), and in that at least one portion of at least one of said electrodes (11, 12) comprises carbon.

Abstract: A single tone RF signal generator and a method of generating a single tone RF signal. The single tone RF signal generator includes an output and a power amplifier that has an input. The power amplifier is operable to receive an RF signal including a first harmonic corresponding to a single tone signal to be produced by the signal generator. The power amplifier is also operable to amplify the RF signal. The power amplifier is further operable to provide the amplified RF signal to the output of the signal generator. The single tone RF signal generator further includes a feedback circuit connected between the output of the signal generator and the input of the power amplifier. The feedback circuit is configured to add one or more predistortion harmonics to the RF signal received by the power amplifier for cancelling harmonics in the amplified RF signal provided by the power amplifier.

Abstract: A tunable RF filter, comprising: an emitter follower stage (2); and a common emitter stage (4); the common emitter stage (4) providing feedback to the emitter follower stage (2). The common emitter stage (4) may comprise a first transistor (Ti) being the only transistor of the common emitter stage (4); and the emitter follower stage (2) may comprise a second transistor (T2) being the only transistor of the emitter follower stage (2). A further tunable RF filter provides improved linearity, comprising: an emitter follower stage (22); a joint common emitter and emitter follower stage (24); and a gain stage (26); a common emitter output of the joint common emitter and emitter follower stage (24) providing feedback to the emitter follower stage (22), and an emitter follower output of the joint common emitter and emitter follower stage (24) providing an input to the gain stage (26).

Abstract: A method for processing ultrasonic signals includes: controlling a plurality of emission transducers for L successive emissions of ultrasonic waves; controlling N reception transducers to simultaneously receive and for a predetermined time, for each successive emission, N measurement signals; obtaining an array of ultrasonic time signals of size L×N, each coefficient Ki,j(t) of this array representing the measurement signal received by the j-th reception transducer due to the i-th emission; and denoising the time signal array by removing some of the singular values and associated singular vectors obtained from a singular value decomposition of a frequency signal array obtained by transforming this time signal array, and by reconstructing a denoised time signal array based on unremoved singular values and singular vectors.

Abstract: An adaptive stepped gain amplifier, for example for use in broadband receivers, has a step size which is dynamically compensated (for each received frequency) to cope with step error caused by frequency dependence of the amplifier performance.

Abstract: A method for reconstructing geometry of an object surface via echographic probing, using an ultrasound probe including plural transducers, the method including: controlling the transducers to transmit towards the surface ultrasound waves having initial transmission delays between them; executing at least once a cycle of operations including receiving from the transducers intermediate measurement signals, correcting transmission delays of the transducers using intermediate measurement signals, and controlling the transducers to transmit towards the surface ultrasound waves having the corrected transmission delays; receiving from the transducers final measurement signals resulting from reflection of a wavefront received simultaneously on the surface; determining specular travel times between each transducer and the surface based on the final measurement signals and the corrected transmission delays; and perform geometric reconstitution of the surface based on the determined specular travel times.

Abstract: A method for controlling ultrasonic transducers of an ultrasonic probe for inspecting an object includes: iterated at least twice, receiving from the transducers new measurement signals; measuring echoes due to reflections of ultrasonic waves on the object, the ultrasonic waves having emission delays with respect to one another, the emission delays having been determined from initial emission delays and all complementary emission delays determined previously; determining new complementary emission delays from the new measurement signals; controlling the transducers so they emit ultrasonic waves to the object, the ultrasonic waves having emission delays with respect to one another, the emission delays having been determined from the initial emission delays and all the complementary emission delays determined previously.