Abstract: A monitoring device includes an electric supply line to be buried in the block of building material, to convey signals and to be AC supplied so as to generate voltage and current stationary waveforms. The device also includes primary inductors coupled to the electric supply line at positions corresponding to peaks of at least one of the voltage and current stationary waveforms. The device also includes integrated monitoring circuits to be buried in the block of building material, with each integrated monitoring circuit including an integrated sensor to sense at least one physical characteristic, and a secondary inductor magnetically coupled to a respective primary inductor to supply the integrated sensor, and communicate through the electric supply line.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a nitroaniline derivative of Formula I for the production of nitric oxide and for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of a disease wherein the administration of nitric oxide is beneficial. The present invention furthermore relates to a method for the production of NO irradiating a nitroaniline derivative of Formula I, a kit comprising a nitroaniline derivative of Formula I and a carrier and to a system comprising a source of radiations and a container associated to a nitroaniline derivative of Formula I. In Formula I, R and RI are each independently hydrogen or a C1-C3 alkyl group; RII is hydrogen or an alkyl group.

Abstract: A voltage regulator has an input terminal for receiving a supply voltage and an output terminal for providing a regulated voltage and a regulated current. Furthermore, the voltage regulator includes a regulator for generating the regulated voltage and the regulated current according to a regulation of the supply voltage. The regulator includes a plurality of regulation branches arranged between the input terminal and the output terminal, each one for providing an output voltage used for obtaining the regulated voltage and for providing an output current contributing to define the regulated current. The regulation branches are partitioned into a plurality of subsets each one including components adapted to operate within a corresponding maximum voltage different from the maximum voltage of the other subsets. In addition, the regulator includes a selector for selectively enabling the regulation branches according to an indicator of the supply voltage.

Abstract: Circuits and methods to realize a power-efficient high frequency buffer. The amplitude of a buffered signal is detected and compared with the amplitude of the input signal. The comparison result can be fed back to the digitally-controlled buffer to keep the output gain constant. By using feedback control, the buffer can be kept at the most suitable biasing condition even if the load condition or signal frequency varies.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a control unit includes a determiner and a requestor. The determiner is configured to determine media-data rate in response to the network throughput and one of multiple fill ranges to which a level of a buffer corresponds, and the requestor is configured to request a media-file segment having the determined media-data rate. For example, such a control unit may be able to control the streaming of a video file in a way that reduces or prevents buffer underflows (i.e., video “freezes”), reduces the start-up delay, and that reduces the frequency of changes from one quality level (e.g., resolution) to another quality level, while streaming the highest-quality version of the video file that the data throughput allows. That is, the control unit seeks to maximize the streamed video quality while minimizing the number of buffer underflows, the number of changes in the streamed resolution caused by changes in the throughput, and the start-up delay.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical-acoustic-transducer assembly has: a first die integrating a MEMS sensing structure having a membrane, which has a first surface in fluid communication with a front chamber and a second surface, opposite to the first surface, in fluid communication with a back chamber of the microelectromechanical acoustic transducer, is able to undergo deformation as a function of incident acoustic-pressure waves, and faces a rigid electrode so as to form a variable-capacitance capacitor; a second die, integrating an electronic reading circuit operatively coupled to the MEMS sensing structure and supplying an electrical output signal as a function of the capacitive variation; and a package, housing the first die and the second die and having a base substrate with external electrical contacts. The first and second dice are stacked in the package and directly connected together mechanically and electrically; the package delimits at least one of the front and back chambers.

Abstract: A method of motion compensation in a camera may include deriving a motion signal representative of a motion of the camera, processing video frames of a video signal from an image sensor of the camera during a viewfinder mode to derive motion vectors between pairs of frames, and processing the motion signal with a number of combinations of gain and offset factors during the viewfinder mode. The method may also include determining combinations for producing threshold motion vectors, and applying the combination producing the threshold motion vectors for processing the motion signal during a still capture mode to produce a control signal for a motion compensating element for optics of the camera.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical sensor that in one embodiment includes a supporting structure, having a substrate and electrode structures anchored to the substrate; and a sensing mass, movable with respect to the supporting structure so that a distance between the sensing mass and the substrate is variable. The sensing mass is provided with movable electrodes capacitively coupled to the electrode structures. Each electrode structure comprises a first fixed electrode and a second fixed electrode mutually insulated by a dielectric region and arranged in succession in a direction substantially perpendicular to a face of the substrate.

Abstract: An electrostatic discharge protection circuit is coupled to a power supply rail and a ground supply rail of an integrated circuit and includes at least one shunt configured to couple the supply rails and a trigger configured to supply on an output a shunt control voltage to a control terminal of the shunt to set the shunt in a coupling state when an ESD event is sensed on one of the supply rails. The protection circuit further comprises a voltage booster arranged between the output of the trigger and the control terminal of the shunt to boost the shunt control voltage.

Abstract: A plurality of circuits in a same package including a first integrated circuit having at least one NFC-type communication interface and at least one communication interface of another type, and a second integrated circuit having a security module with a non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory being used by the NFC interface to store configuration data.

Abstract: A mobile device including: a battery; an element for charging the battery; a near-field communication circuit; and a connection between the near-field communication circuit and the battery charge element.

Abstract: A secure memory includes a bistable memory cell having a programmed start-up state, and means for flipping the state of the cell in response to a flip signal. The memory may include a clock for generating the flip signal with a period, for example, smaller than the acquisition time of an emission microscope.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for displaying enabling the transmission, formatting, and display of multimedia data after a hot plug event during a start-up dead period. In particular, approaches for transmission, formatting, and display of multimedia data in the absence or non-operation of a hot plug detect system or signal, so that multimedia information can be displayed in a proper format even during the dead period when no hot plug detect signal is received.

Abstract: A method for measuring the voltage of a battery of an electronic device by means of a measurement device integrated to the electronic device, wherein, after the connection of the battery to the electronic device, the measurement device prevents battery charge and discharge operations during the measurement.

Abstract: A sensor assembly includes: an electrically insulating and flexible body (13), in the form of a plate having a first face (13a) and a second face (13b); and a first sensor (15; 315) and a second sensor (17), which are incorporated in the body (13). The first sensor (15) is set between the first face (13a) and the second sensor (17), and the second sensor (17) is set between the first sensor (15) and the second face (13b).

Abstract: A method for real-time quantitative detection of single-type, target nucleic acid sequences amplified using a PCR in a microwell, comprising introducing in the microwell a sample comprising target nucleic acid sequences, magnetic primers, and labelling probes; performing an amplification cycle to form labelled amplicons; attracting the magnetic primers to a surface through a magnetic field to form a layer including labelled amplification products and free magnetic primers; and detecting the labelled amplification products in the layer with a surface-specific reading method.

Abstract: A process for assembly of an integrated device, envisages: providing a first body of semiconductor material integrating at least one electronic circuit and having a top surface; providing a second body of semiconductor material integrating at least one microelectromechanical structure and having a bottom surface; and stacking the second body on the first body with the interposition, between the top surface of the first body and the bottom surface of the second body, of an elastic spacer material. Prior to the stacking step, the step is envisaged of providing, in an integrated manner, at the top surface of the first body a confinement and spacing structure that confines inside it the elastic spacer material and supports the second body at a distance from the first body during the stacking step.

Abstract: An embodiment is a method for detecting image features, the method including extracting a stripe from a digital image, the stripe including of a plurality of blocks; processing the plurality of blocks for localizing one or more keypoints; and detecting one or more image features based on the one or more localized keypoints.

Abstract: The invention relates to systems and methods for spectrum sharing and communication among several wireless communication networks with overlapping service areas (or cells), especially to Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRANs). Particular embodiments of the invention disclose using a conference channel to communicate between base stations. Other embodiments use slotted coexistence windows within frames to transmit and receive information, including for reserving transmission times within subsequent frames.

Abstract: A method for localizing an object, including the acts of: transmission of a first signal by a first transmitter assigned to the object and of a second signal by at least one second transmitter; reception of the first and of the second signal by at least three receivers; in each receiver and for the first and the second signal: a) generation of a first and of a second reference signal; b) correlation between the first signal and the first reference signal and between the second signal and the second reference signal; c) interpolation of samples resulting from the correlation; d) deduction of the propagation time of the first and of the second signal; e) calculation of the difference between the propagation times of the first and of the second signal; and, by triangulation, deduction of the position of the object.