Method and apparatus for data communication between a base station and a transponder
Granted: November 5, 2013
Patent Number:
8577295
In certain embodiments, a transponder comprises a transceiver configured to receive a forward link having a forward-link header comprising at least one symbol for configuring a setting of the transponder. The transponder may be configured to transmit a return link having a return-link header comprising information based on one or more characteristics of the transponder, and to receive a modified subsequent symbol of the forward-link header. The modified subsequent symbol of the forward…
Methods and apparatuses to test the functionality of capacitive sensors
Granted: November 5, 2013
Patent Number:
8576182
Some embodiments include apparatus and methods to test a device having a driving layer and a sensing layer. A test signal is applied to electrodes of the driving layer in a capacitive load state, with a capacitive load applied, and in an ambient state, without a capacitive load applied. Measured values are obtained at the sensing layer for each state. The measured values are compared with threshold values. A report is generated when a measured value violates a threshold. In one…
Voltage scaling system
Granted: November 5, 2013
Patent Number:
8575997
A circuit for downscaling voltage comprising: a voltage regulator; a voltage reference register configured to provide a voltage reference value; a voltage comparator configured to output a logical one if a supply voltage of the voltage regulator is greater than the voltage reference value, wherein a first input of the voltage comparator is coupled to output of the voltage regulator and a second input of the voltage comparator is coupled to output of the voltage reference register; an AND…
Color correcting device driver
Granted: November 5, 2013
Patent Number:
8575863
A color correcting device driver is configured to vary the equivalent current into light emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) with the frequency of the AC input current (e.g., 120 Hz). In implementations that include a fly-back controller with a power factor correction (PFC) controller on the primary side, the color correcting device driver performs the method of: 1) turning on the loads (e.g., white and CA strings of LEDs); 2) determining if the voltage supplied to the loads has dropped by a…
Transmitting/receiving device and method for transmitting data in a radio network
Granted: October 29, 2013
Patent Number:
8571490
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an instruction for a transceiver of a device to transmit a first data frame; in response to the instruction, generating a first control signal for a switch to couple the transceiver to a first antenna for transmission of the first data frame by the transceiver via the first antenna; determining whether the transceiver has received within a pre-determined time interval after the transmission of the first data frame a second data frame…
Architecture to connect circuitry between customizable and predefined logic areas
Granted: October 29, 2013
Patent Number:
8572298
An integrated circuit comprises a predefined logic area including a microprocessor coupled to a plurality of peripheral devices including an external bus interface over a system bus. A customizable logic area is accessible by the microprocessor over the system bus. A first I/O bus sends data to an external device. A second I/O bus receives data from an external device. A first set of multiplexers in the predefined logic area have first inputs coupled to an output of the external bus…
Method and apparatus for synchronization of a master timebase with one or more slave timebases using indirect signalling of timing information
Granted: October 29, 2013
Patent Number:
8571005
In a communication system comprising one master device and one or more slave devices, the slave devices synchronize to a common timebase maintained at the master device without requiring transmission of accurate and real time master timer information from the master device. In one approach, a slave device sends timing information to the master device, the timing information representing the slave device timebase, and the master device sends back correction information to the slave…
Apparatus and method incorporating discrete passive components in an electronic package
Granted: October 29, 2013
Patent Number:
8568822
An apparatus and method for incorporating discrete passive components into an integrated circuit package. A metal layer is formed over a surface of a substrate. A layer of photosensitive material is then formed over the metal layer. Using standard photolithographic processing, a pattern is formed with the photosensitive material to expose at least one region of the metal layer. The remaining photosensitive material protects the underlying metal during metal etching. The substrate is then…
Capacitive touch sensor for identifying a fingerprint
Granted: October 22, 2013
Patent Number:
8564314
A capacitive sensor includes at least one substrate, a capacitive touch position sensor, and a capacitive fingerprint sensor. The capacitive touch position sensor is included on the at least one substrate and in a touch sensing area. The capacitive touch position sensor includes electrodes configured to enable detection of presence and position of a touch in the touch sensing area. The capacitive fingerprint sensor is included on the at least one substrate and in as fingerprint sensing…
Touchscreen electrode arrangement with varied proportionate density
Granted: October 22, 2013
Patent Number:
8564552
A touchscreen includes an array of first electrode pairs and an array of second electrode pairs distributed across an active area of the touchscreen. The first and second electrode pairs may be configured in various snaking patterns to vary the proportion of first and second electrode pair density in a first direction across the touchscreen. The position of a touch can be determined by the proportion of densities of elements in the area of the touch, such as by measuring capacitive…
Sensorless BLDC motor control by comparing instantaneous and average BEMF voltages
Granted: October 15, 2013
Patent Number:
8558495
Sensorless driving of a brushless DC (BLDC) motor includes detecting a zero crossing time from back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage of the BLDC motor. An instantaneous BEMF voltage and an average BEMF voltage are compared to detect the crossover time, which can be used to change the commutation switching sequence. Since the average BEMF voltage differs for odd and even steps of the commutation switching sequence, average BEMF voltages are calculated separately for odd and even…
Analog rail-to-rail comparator with hysteresis
Granted: October 15, 2013
Patent Number:
8558581
According to a novel aspect, operating an analog rail-to-rail comparator circuit with common mode detection of differential input signals includes generating a hysteresis current for the comparator circuit based on a common mode voltage used for the common mode detection. The hysteresis current is added to a differential output of a comparator in the comparator circuit, such that a hysteresis voltage at an output of the comparator circuit is substantially independent of the common mode…
Method for performing a return operation in parallel with setting status flags based on a return value register test
Granted: October 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8555041
Various embodiments include methods and related media for performing operations including a return operation. One such method includes testing a content of a return value register and setting status flags. Testing the content of the return value register and setting the status flags are performed in response to a single instruction.
Method for wireless data transmission
Granted: October 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8553674
A method for wireless data transmission between a base station and a transponder is provided, in which data are transmitted between the base station and the transponder in the form of data packets that include a header section with at least one symbol for setting one or more transmission parameters and include at least one additional section. The transponder monitors, during the data transmission, to determine whether a time period between two successive symbol delimiters transmitted by…
Two-dimensional position sensor
Granted: October 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8552315
A capacitive position sensor is provided having a touch-sensitive area defined by a single-layer of electrodes arranged in a pattern along two axes. The electrode pattern includes a plurality of units each occupying a portion of the touch sensitive area along one axis. Each unit has at least three lines of elongate electrodes spaced apart in the one axis and extending for a length parallel to the other axis. The three lines of elongate electrodes in each unit comprise at least one line…
Method and system for program pulse generation during programming of nonvolatile electronic devices
Granted: October 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8553460
Aspects for program pulse generation during programming of nonvolatile electronic devices include providing a configurable voltage sequence generator to manage verify-pulse and pulse-verify switching as needed during modification operations of a programming algorithm for nonvolatile electronic devices, wherein more efficient modification operations result. In this manner, highly flexible bit sequence generation that can be easily managed by a microcontroller occurs, resulting in a…
Sensor and method of sensing
Granted: October 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8552995
A touch sensor senses the presence of an object at one of a plurality of channels on a surface of the touch sensor, wherein proximity of the object to the touch sensor results in a change in capacitance at the position of the channel. The touch sensor includes a drive circuit and a charge sensing circuit, each coupled to each of the channels. The charge sensing circuit includes at least one charge measurement capacitor. A measurement cycle is applied to the touch sensor having a drive…
Method and apparatus to measure self-capacitance using a single pin
Granted: October 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8552994
A method for measuring capacitance in a sensor device using an internal reference circuit element(s), and without implementing additional circuitry and devices external to the sensor device, is described. In some embodiments a method uses an output pin of the sensor device and an internal reference capacitor of the sensor device to identify a touch applied to a touch point or electrode coupled to the touch sensor. The method applies reference voltages to charge the reference capacitor…
Analog-digital conversion
Granted: October 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8552899
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first analog signal at a first input; receiving a second analog signal at a second input; mixing the first analog signal with a first oscillator signal having a first frequency; mixing the second analog signal with a second oscillator signal having a second frequency; converting a sum signal to a digital signal; generating a first control signal based on a first digital value of a first function and the digital signal; and generating a…
Data transmission method and apparatus in RFID and remote sensor systems
Granted: October 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8552837
A method and apparatus is provided for data transmission in RFID and remote sensor systems with at least one reader and a plurality of transponders or remote sensors being located in an electromagnetic field of the reader, in which a multipart return link header containing transmission parameters for the return link, such as timing or modulation references, is transmitted at the beginning of a return link transmission of useful data from a transponder or sensor to a reader. A relative…
