Method and apparatus for sensing
Granted: July 26, 2011
Patent Number:
7986153
An apparatus for sensing a change in capacitance of a sensing electrode to a system ground, such as that which may be used to form a touch sensor, with the sensing electrode forming touch sensitive surface is arranged to include a sleep mode of operation. The apparatus includes a sample capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the sensing electrode, and a second terminal coupled to a voltage measurement circuit. The voltage measurement circuit is arranged in operation to determine a…
Wireless data transmission between base station and transponder with transmission parameter adjusted based on transponder operating information
Granted: July 26, 2011
Patent Number:
7986653
Data encoded in packets modulated onto a carrier wave is transmitted between a base station and a transponder. Each packet includes a header section that contains at least a reference symbol and that serves for adjusting one or more transmission parameters, and a further section such as a data section. The transponder transmits data back to the base station through modulation and backscattering of the carrier wave. During the transmission of the header section by the base station, the…
Methods and apparatus to detect voltage class of a circuit
Granted: July 26, 2011
Patent Number:
7987380
A method including monitoring whether an externally originating signal reaches a predetermined threshold value in a host, producing an output value based on the monitoring, and identifying a power environment for the host based on the output value is described. Also described is a method for determining the power environment of a host. Systems and hosts for implementing the methods are also described.
Capacitive position sensor
Granted: July 26, 2011
Patent Number:
7986152
In one embodiment, a sensor includes a substrate; multiple interconnected sense elements arranged in a first direction on a surface of the substrate; and first interconnected drive elements arranged on a surface of the substrate in the first direction. Each respective one of the first interconnected drive elements are located adjacent to and between respective ones of the sense elements to form first sets of sense and drive elements alternating in the first direction. The sensor also…
Methods for forming packaged products
Granted: July 19, 2011
Patent Number:
7981796
An apparatus and methods for packaging semiconductor devices are disclosed. The apparatus is applicable to many types of contemporary packaging schemes that utilize a sacrificial metal base strip. Tunnels formed through an encapsulation area surrounding the device and associated bond wires are filled with a metallic conductor by, for example, electroplating, and extend bottom contact pads to an uppermost portion of the encapsulated area. The sacrificial metal base strip serves as a…
Capacitive node isolation for electrostatic discharge circuit
Granted: July 19, 2011
Patent Number:
7982499
Capacitive node isolation circuitry in an integrated circuit eliminates the creation of hot spots (stored charge) on high capacitive nodes during a test of electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuitry of the integrated circuit or during any ESD event occurring while the integrated circuit is in a standby mode. The isolation circuitry includes a standby mode logic circuit responsive to a standby mode signal received at one of its inputs and provides an output signal to a gate of an…
Adaptive regulator for idle state in a charge pump circuit of a memory device
Granted: July 19, 2011
Patent Number:
7983098
An apparatus and method for improving the performance of an electronic device is disclosed. An idle voltage state is introduced by an adaptive voltage generator when providing or removing a high voltage signal from a line or a node in a circuit. The idle state reduces the undesirable effects of switching disturbances caused by sudden voltage changes in a line or node.
Touch sensitive control panel
Granted: June 28, 2011
Patent Number:
7969330
An apparatus for controlling functions of an appliance is described having a touch-sensitive control panel resistant to accidental activation. The touch-sensitive panel has a plurality of proximity sensor areas which may be selected by a user wishing to activate associated functions of the appliance. Driver circuitry coupled to the sensor areas is operable to output detection signals to a controller in response to a user selecting ones of the sensor areas. The controller is configured to…
Off-chip micro control and interface in a multichip integrated memory system
Granted: June 28, 2011
Patent Number:
7971024
A communication interface, coupling a controller device to one or more memory devices, provides a high-voltage reset interface. The high-voltage reset interface provides a high-voltage signal to reset the one or more memory devices. The high-voltage reset interface is implemented using a single interconnect line. The reset voltage signal is greater than a maximum voltage representing a high logic value. The communication interface may also include a bi-directional data and address…
Method and system for encryption-based design obfuscation for an integrated circuit
Granted: June 14, 2011
Patent Number:
7962766
Encryption-based design obfuscation for an integrated circuit includes creating multiple functional circuit paths for an integrated circuit design and selecting among the multiple functional circuit paths during scan testing. Encrypting selection data corresponding to an intended function of the integrated circuit design avoids revealing the intended function as a result of the scan testing.
Supplemental communication interface
Granted: June 7, 2011
Patent Number:
7958291
An apparatus includes a first interface having a communication channel through which data is transmitted to or received from a target device and a first control register that is configured to control, based at least in part on its contents, transmission or reception of data through the communication channel. The apparatus also includes a second interface having a second control register that is configured to control, based at least in part on its contents, transmission or reception of…
Proximity sensor
Granted: May 31, 2011
Patent Number:
7952366
A capacitive touch sensor providing an automatic switch-off function for an apparatus in which the sensor is incorporated is provided. The sensor includes a sensing element coupled to a capacitance measurement circuit for measuring the capacitance of the sensing element. A control circuit is operable to determine from the capacitance measurement whether an object is in proximity with the sensor. The determined presence of an object may he used to toggle a function of the apparatus.…
Capacitive position sensor
Granted: May 31, 2011
Patent Number:
7952367
Methods and apparatus related to a sensor are discussed herein. The sensor can include a sensing element having a sensing path, the sensing element coupled to a sensing channel, and a processor configured to interpret a signal generated by the sensing channel indicative of a capacitance between the sensing path and a system ground. The processor can have a first mode configured to set a parameter to a desired value. The desired value can be related to a first position of an object sensed…
Method for wireless data transmission between a base station and a transponder via inductive coupling
Granted: May 31, 2011
Patent Number:
7953146
A method and transponder for wireless data transmission between a base station and a transponder is provided by means of inductive coupling, the transponder supports a first data transmission protocol type and/or a second data transmission protocol type. In the first data transmission protocol type, the data transmission is ended when a maximum value for the duration between successive field gaps is exceeded and in the second data transmission protocol type, after the initiation of the…
Device and method for scanning multiple ADC channels
Granted: May 17, 2011
Patent Number:
7944384
An analog to digital converter has an input for coupling to multiple channels having analog signals. The analog to digital converter converts the analog signals on such channels to provide a digital output. A memory device has an enable bit for each of the multiple channels and a current channel register. An interface coupled to the memory device and current channel register selects a next channel for converting by the analog to digital converter, skipping channels that are not enabled.
Headsets and headset power management
Granted: May 17, 2011
Patent Number:
7945297
The invention relates to an energy saving headset that comprises a power management unit operable to reduce the power consumption of the headset when a user is not present. The power management unit uses capacitive sensing to detect the presence of the user. Capacitive sensing is advantageous since it provides a flexible and reliable sensor that can accurately detect the presence or absence of a user either by detecting user proximity or user contact. Moreover, in various embodiments,…
Stacked-die electronics package with planar and three-dimensional inductor elements
Granted: April 26, 2011
Patent Number:
7932590
An apparatus and a method for producing three-dimensional integrated circuit packages. In one embodiment, an electronics package with at least two dice are stacked one atop another is disclosed. A top die is of smaller size compared with a bottom die such that after a die attach operation, wire-bond pads of the bottom die will be exposed for a subsequent wire bonding operation. The bottom die contains contact pads on the front side that couple with one or more passive components…
Touch sensitive screen
Granted: April 26, 2011
Patent Number:
7932898
A capacitive sensor for determining the presence of an object, such as a user's finger or a stylus, is provided. The sensor comprises a substrate, for example made of transparent plastics material, such as PET, on which electrodes are deposited. A resistive drive electrode for example formed of transparent ITO, is arranged on one side of the substrate and a resistive sense electrode, which again may be of transparent ITO, is arranged on the other side of the substrate. Thus an overall…
Wheel electronics and tire control system for measuring a measurand
Granted: April 19, 2011
Patent Number:
7928838
Wheel Electronics and Tire Control System for Measuring a Measurand is provided. The wheel electronics may include a receiving device for picking up and digitizing an amplitude-modulated request signal, which has a carrier frequency for encoding a request, having a first evaluation device, which checks the request signal for the presence of a request contained therein, and having a digital counter for generating an envelope of the request signal, which has a counter input for coupling…
Method and system to access memory
Granted: April 19, 2011
Patent Number:
7929356
This document discusses among other things, a system comprising a host controller, an Input/Output buffer, and a memory device. The memory device is coupled to the host controller and is configured to receive a read command from the host controller. The non-volatile includes an interface control logic, which is in communication with a non-volatile memory. The interface control logic includes a latency programming circuit coupled to the non-volatile memory and the Input/Output buffer. The…
