Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include circuits, systems and methods for baseline signal restoration over differential outputs. Circuits according to certain embodiments include an input module for receiving a signal from a sensor, an amplifier module, operably connected to the input module, for modifying the input signal, a baseline restoration module, operably connected to the amplifier module, for extracting a direct current component of the input signal, and an output module, operably connected to the amplifier module, for transmitting a baseline restored signal, wherein the output module comprises differential outputs.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include methods for determining whether an object is present on a surface of a flow channel of a flow cell. Methods according to certain embodiments include irradiating the flow cell with two or more frequency modulated beams of light from a laser, detecting first and second reflected beams of light reflected by a first surface and a second surface of the flow channel, calculating a frequency of oscillations generated by interference between the first and second reflected beams of light, determining a distance between the first surface and the second surface based on the calculated frequency of interference oscillations and determining whether an object is present on the surface of the flow channel based on the determined distance.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include methods for determining whether an object is present on a surface of a flow channel of a flow cell. Methods according to certain embodiments include irradiating the flow cell with two or more frequency modulated beams of light from a laser, detecting first and second reflected beams of light reflected by a first surface and a second surface of the flow channel, calculating a frequency of oscillations generated by interference between the first and second reflected beams of light, determining a distance between the first surface and the second surface based on the calculated frequency of interference oscillations and determining whether an object is present on the surface of the flow channel based on the determined distance.

Abstract: A circuit is described that provides low power and temperature stability in a compact design. In one or more implementations of the present disclosure, the circuit includes a current sensing element configured for generating a voltage drop based upon a current generated by a current source through a load. The circuit also includes an asymmetric differential circuit for generating a differential output based upon the voltage drop. The circuit also includes an amplifier electrically coupled to the asymmetric differential circuit, the amplifier for generating a single-ended output based upon the differential output, and a flip-flop module that transitions between a first state and a second state based upon the single-ended output. The flip-flop module controls operation of a switch, and the switch controls current flow to the load.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes an active semiconductor substrate comprising an array of photodiodes. The integrated circuit device also includes a dielectric layer disposed adjacent to the active semiconductor substrate proximate to the array of photodiodes. The dielectric layer has a first side adjacent to the active semiconductor substrate and a second side opposite from the active semiconductor substrate. The dielectric layer includes a layer of at least substantially opaque material. The layer of at least substantially opaque material defines an aperture configured to permit electromagnetic radiation incident upon the second side of the dielectric layer to reach the array of photodiodes.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a mutual capacitance touchscreen comprising a first set of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns and a second set of electrically conductive traces arranged in rows or columns arranged at right angles with respect to the rows or columns of the first set, where the first and second sets of traces are electrically insulated from and interdigitated respecting one another, and gaps between the first and second sets of traces form boundaries between the first and second sets of traces that undulate and that are not straight or linear. Other embodiments of a mutual capacitance touchscreen are also disclosed, such as “mini-diamond” sensor array patterns and sensor array patterns that may be manufactured at low cost.

Abstract: Ambient light is sensed for use in determining luminous flux. According to an example embodiment, ambient light is sensed using two light sensor arrangements that respectively respond differently to light of different relative wavelengths. The output of the sensors is nonlinearly combined to generate data indicative of the luminous flux. This luminous flux data is used to generate a control output for controlling an electronic display.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes an active semiconductor substrate comprising an array of photodiodes. The integrated circuit device also includes a dielectric layer disposed adjacent to the active semiconductor substrate proximate to the array of photodiodes. The dielectric layer has a first side adjacent to the active semiconductor substrate and a second side opposite from the active semiconductor substrate. The dielectric layer includes a layer of at least substantially opaque material. The layer of at least substantially opaque material defines an aperture configured to permit electromagnetic radiation incident upon the second side of the dielectric layer to reach the array of photodiodes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a capacitive touchscreen system which includes switchable charge acquisition circuits and corresponding charge integrator circuits for sensing mutual capacitances associated with a touchscreen. Various embodiments of the switchable charge acquisition circuits and corresponding charge integrator circuits provide lower power consumption, increased operational stability, substantially reduced integrated circuit area, and increased temperature stability.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a capacitive touchscreen system that is capable of sensing simultaneous or near-simultaneous multiple finger touches made on a capacitive touchscreen. In one embodiment, drive-sense circuits operably connected to X and Y lines of the touchscreen may be interchangeably and selectably configured as either sense circuits or drive circuits by a drive/sense processor operably connected thereto.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a capacitive touchscreen system that is capable of sensing simultaneous or near-simultaneous multiple finger touches made on a capacitive touchscreen. In one embodiment, drive and sense circuits operably connected to X and Y lines of the touchscreen may be interchangeably and selectably configured to drive and sense X and Y lines of the touchscreen, respectively, or drive and sense Y and X lines, respectively, of the touchscreen, through first and second multiplexers operating under the control of a drive/sense processor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a capacitive touchscreen system which includes switchable charge acquisition circuits and corresponding charge integrator circuits for sensing mutual capacitances associated with a touchscreen. Various embodiments of the switchable charge acquisition circuits and corresponding charge integrator circuits provide lower power consumption, increased operational stability, substantially reduced integrated circuit area, and increased temperature stability.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a capacitive touchscreen system which includes switchable charge acquisition circuits and corresponding charge integrator circuits for sensing mutual capacitances associated with a touchscreen. Various embodiments of the switchable charge acquisition circuits and corresponding charge integrator circuits provide lower power consumption, increased operational stability, substantially reduced integrated circuit area, and increased temperature stability.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of circuits and methods for reducing electromagnetic interference in mutual capacitance measurement or sensing systems, devices, components and methods such as capacitive touchscreens. Charge integrator circuits and switched capacitance filtering circuits are disclosed that improve the signal-to-noise ratio (or the ratio of a desired sensed mutual capacitance signal to an undesired EMI signal) in a capacitive sensor readout circuit without the need to increase the amplitude of the drive signal. The various embodiments of the charge integrator and switched capacitance filtering circuits described herein permit an improvement in noise immunity without requiring the excessive power levels typically associated with high amplitude drive circuitry, and moreover result in boosting signal-to-noise ratios during early stages of signal processing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of circuits and methods in a capacitive touchscreen system that eliminate the need to digitize an entire array of pixel signals obtained from a touchscreen. Instead, regions of interest, or projections of object or touch signal clusters, from touchscreen 90 are employed to encode the coordinates or positions of objects or touches in an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Encoding of object positions occurs during digitization of the analog signal clusters, which eliminates the need to separately digitize individual touchscreen signals. The disclosed circuits and methods reduce the number of signal processor channels that might otherwise be required, and lead to power consumption reduction in the capacitive touchscreen system, as well as in reducing the area required to implement the circuit architecture in an integrated circuit.

Abstract: A pixel circuit uses two storage transistors to store two image signal samples, which include a reference signal produced by background noise of the pixel circuit and a signal produced by optical exposure of a photodetector and the background noise of the pixel circuit. An imaging integrated circuit uses a pixel circuit array, which may contain a number of such pixel circuits, and a charge acquisition circuit configured to read out image information obtained by the pixel circuit array. The charge acquisition circuit uses a first amplifier and a serially connected differential integrator that includes a second amplifier, a first differential integrator section and a second differential integrator section for the read out. A method for image information acquisition involves obtaining image information using the pixel circuit array and reading out the image information obtained by the pixel circuit array using the charge acquisition circuit.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and devices for reducing capacitor mismatch errors in a pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC) are disclosed. A plurality of pipeline element circuits are provided, where each pipeline element circuit corresponds to a given bit of the pipeline ADC. A first pipeline element circuit is configured to digitize analog A and B capacitor mismatch error calibration voltages generated by all the pipeline element circuits of the ADC when the pipeline ADC is operating in a capacitor mismatch calibration phase. According to one embodiment, digital representations corresponding to A and B capacitor mismatch error calibration voltages for each of the pipeline element circuits are provided to an output shift register and summing circuit, which generates capacitor mismatch error correction codes corresponding to each bit and pipeline element circuit.

Abstract: Various embodiments of charge pump circuitry configured to generate output signals having first distortion signals superimposed thereon are disclosed. Demodulator input signals are also disclosed that have second distortion signals superimposed thereon. A synchronization signal is delivered to demodulator circuitry through at least first and second integer divider circuits and to charge pump circuitry through at least the first integer divider circuitry such that the first and second distortion signals have frequencies that are integer divisions of the synchronization frequency.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and devices for reducing capacitor mismatch errors in a pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC) are disclosed, where in a pipeline element circuit and during a first phase, an input voltage provided by a sample-and-hold circuit is presented to first and second capacitors arranged in parallel in the pipeline element circuit. During a second phase, a second voltage corresponding to a second charge associated with the second capacitance is amplified and stored in the pipeline element circuit. During a third phase, the same input voltage of the first phase is again presented to the first and second capacitors, which are arranged in parallel in the pipeline element circuit. During a fourth phase a first voltage corresponding to the first charge is amplified and stored in the pipeline element circuit.

Abstract: Various embodiments of capacitive touchscreen driving and sensing circuits are disclosed, where during a first phase the mutual capacitance between a given drive electrode and a given sense electrode is charged up to a first charge value corresponding substantially to a drive voltage times the mutual capacitance. During a second phase the charge storage capacitor is charged up to a value corresponding approximately to a difference in touchscreen capacitance network charges occurring during the first and second phases. The first and second phases do not overlap in time. Dark frame signals may also be acquired from the touchscreen to calibrate differences in touchscreen capacitance network charges.