METHOD FOR EXTENDING THE LIFE OF TOUCH SCREENS
Granted: September 25, 2008
Application Number:
20080231604
In an embodiment, a signature area and virtual keypad, among other display elements, are displayed in more than one location on a touch screen display. As a result, wear and tear may be strategically distributed evenly across the touch screen, instead of isolated to fixed locations, thus increasing the touch screen's useful lifetime. Display degradation is detected in a novel embodiment from physical parameters that are conventionally used for the touch screen's touch sensitivity. By…
METHOD FOR INTEGRATING EVENT-RELATED INFORMATION AND TRACE INFORMATION
Granted: September 11, 2008
Application Number:
20080222453
A method for emulating and debugging a microcontroller. In one embodiment, an event thread is executed on an emulator that operates in lock-step with the microcontroller. Event information is sampled at selected points. Trace information is also recorded at the selected points. As such, the event information and trace information are effectively pre-filtered. Accordingly, it is not incumbent on a designer to read and understand the event and trace information and sort out the information…
CURSOR CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD
Granted: August 28, 2008
Application Number:
20080204409
We describe an apparatus including a plurality of sensing elements, a conductive layer, and a compressive layer interposed between the plurality of sensing elements and the conductive layer. The conductive layer can include a plurality of segments. A user applies a force to an actuator positioned over the conductive layer. The actuator changes a capacitance of at least one capacitor formed by at least one of the plurality of sensing elements, the conductive layer (at least one segment),…
BATTERY WITH ELECTRONIC COMPARTMENT
Granted: August 28, 2008
Application Number:
20080206627
An electronic containment battery includes a battery section and an electronic section that together form a standard battery form factor that allows insertion into conventional electronic devices. The electronic section can include Radio Frequency (RE) circuitry that enables electronic operations in the electronic containment battery to be communicated or controlled wirelessly.
METHOD AND SYSTEM OF CYCLE SLIP FRAMING IN A DESERIALIZER
Granted: August 14, 2008
Application Number:
20080192871
A method and system for cycle slip framing is disclosed. The method includes receiving an asynchronous signal and generating a synchronous pulse after receiving the asynchronous signal. The method further provides that the synchronous pulse be used to affect a bit slip that results in the moving of a character frame in the recovered data of a deserializer. According to one embodiment of the invention, the moving of the character frame is prompted by a single control signal of a clock…
Memory Interface Configurable for Asynchronous and Synchronous Operation and for Accessing Storage from any Clock Domain
Granted: June 19, 2008
Application Number:
20080148085
An improved memory interface circuit is provided for accessing a storage array in one of two available modes, including a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode. The improved memory interface circuit also includes logic, which enables the storage array to reside within substantially any clock domain.
High Speed, Leakage Tolerant, Double Bootstrapped Multiplexer Circuit with High Voltage Isolation
Granted: June 5, 2008
Application Number:
20080130375
A multiplexer circuit provided herein includes a plurality of pass devices coupled in parallel between a power supply and a ground supply. According to one embodiment, each pass device may include a first pair of transistors, which is coupled in series between the power supply and the ground supply, and a second pair of transistors, which is coupled to the first pair of transistors for controlling a current passed there through. In general, the second pair of transistors may be…
COMPRESSED REPORT DESCRIPTORS FOR USB DEVICES
Granted: June 5, 2008
Application Number:
20080133784
A method and apparatus for creating USB peripheral device report descriptors: A short, compressed, report descriptor is stored in a peripheral device. This short report descriptor is transmitted to a USB wireless bridge and combined with templates stored in the bridge to create a USP report descriptor. Power is saved because less time is required to transmit the short report descriptor than would be required to transmit a full USB report descriptor. Hardware is also saved in the…
Electronic Switch Architecture and Method having Multiple Ports Coupled by a Single Data Link for Transferring Different Data Types Across the Link
Granted: April 17, 2008
Application Number:
20080089321
A switch circuit, system, and method are provided in which a single, shared data line is formed across the majority of the monolithic substrate which bears the switch. The shared data line is serviced by multiplexers and corresponding state machines placed near the ports of the switch. The state machine determines which one of a plurality of data streams received on the corresponding ports are to be serviced and placed in a first timeslot of multiple timeslots sent across the shared data…
Multiprocessor System having an Input/Output (I/O) Bridge Circuit for Transferring Data Between Volatile and Non-Volatile Memory
Granted: February 21, 2008
Application Number:
20080046638
A disclosed circuit includes circuitry for coupling to a volatile memory, circuitry for coupling to a nonvolatile NAND flash memory, and circuitry that: (i) receives a volatile memory request from a processor and satisfies the volatile memory request by accessing the volatile memory, and (ii) receives a nonvolatile NOR flash memory read request from the processor and satisfies the NOR read request by accessing both the NAND flash memory and the volatile memory. The circuit may also…
Test Circuit, System, and Method for Testing One or More Circuit Components Arranged upon a Common Printed Circuit Board
Granted: January 31, 2008
Application Number:
20080025383
A test circuit, system, and method are provided herein for testing one or more circuit components arranged upon a monolithic substrate. According to one embodiment, the system may include a test circuit and one or more circuit components, all of which are arranged upon the same monolithic substrate. In general, the test circuit may be configured for: (i) receiving an input signal at an input frequency, (ii) generating a test signal by modulating a phase of the input signal in accordance…
Programmable Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Protection Device
Granted: December 13, 2007
Application Number:
20070285854
An improved ESD protection device, integrated circuit and method for programmably altering a sensitivity of the ESD protection device is provided herein. More specifically, an active shunt ESD protection device is provided with an improved trigger circuit design. The improved trigger circuit design enables the sensitivity of the ESD protection device to be altered by providing a variety of programmable elements for adjusting an RC time constant of a slew rate detector contained therein.…
LOW OUTPUT-TO-OUTPUT SKEW/LOW JITTER STAGGERED OUTPUT BUFFER
Granted: October 25, 2007
Application Number:
20070247195
A system and method for generating multiple current steered output signals at a centralized location and subsequently routing them to their respective output pads is shown and described. The system and method allow designers to variously stagger output pad configurations while maintaining low output-to-output skew and low jitter.
MULTIPLE LAYER ANTENNA FOR WIRELESS APPLICATIONS
Granted: September 27, 2007
Application Number:
20070222684
System and method for a multi-layer antenna is shown and described. A multi-layer antenna includes a plurality of antenna layers that are stacked and aligned to minimize an antenna footprint without degrading electrical performance. This reduced antenna footprint allows system designer the ability to reduce the overall size of wireless communication devices incorporating the multi-layer antenna.
Frequency agile radio system and method
Granted: September 20, 2007
Application Number:
20070218841
This invention provides a method for improved frequency agility and preferably includes transmitting and receiving data on a primary channel; finding a secondary channel substantially free from interference during a period between data transmissions on the primary channel; and transmitting and receiving data on the secondary channel when an unacceptable level of interference is detected on the primary channel. In an alternate embodiment, data is preferably transmitted on a primary and a…
Source Switching Method for Multimedia Interface
Granted: September 20, 2007
Application Number:
20070220150
A convenient, low-cost method is provided herein for switching between one or more source devices, which are connected to a sink device via a multimedia interface. According to one embodiment, the method described herein may be used for switching between a plurality of source devices compatible with the High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI™) or any other similar audio/video interfaces. In some cases, the method may utilize priority data to connect the source device having the…
WIRELESS LOCATING AND MONITORING SYSTEM
Granted: September 13, 2007
Application Number:
20070213887
A wireless tracking device including a positioning system for determining a location of the device and a processor connected to the positioning system. The wireless tracking device further including a wireless radio connected to the processor for transmitting the location of the device across a wireless area network. A vehicle monitoring system including a sensor, a microcontroller configured to receive a sensor input from the sensor and determine a vehicle condition data, and a wireless…
FAN CONTROL UTILIZING BI-DIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
Granted: August 30, 2007
Application Number:
20070200518
A system and method for bi-directional communication between a system controller and a fan controller: The system operates in two modes and there are two communication paths between the system controller and the fan controller. The first communication path provides a PWM signal the frequency of which indicates the mode in which the system is operating. During the first mode, the duty cycle of the PWM signal on the first signal path indicates the desired fan speed. In the first mode, the…
High Speed Level Shift Circuit with Reduced Skew and Method for Level Shifting
Granted: July 19, 2007
Application Number:
20070164789
An improved level shift circuit and method for level shifting is disclosed herein. In general, the improved level shift circuit adds a pulse generator, a feedback transistor and a latch to a conventional cross-coupled level shift circuit configuration. The pulse generator and feedback transistor are configured for reducing a fall delay associated with the level shift circuit. For example, the pulse generator is coupled for supplying a short duration feedback pulse to the feedback…
Spread spectrum clock for USB
Granted: May 17, 2007
Application Number:
20070110142
A method, apparatus or system for generating a clock signal that includes determining a transmission frequency within a first frequency range for receiving or transmitting a data stream, locking a clock to the transmission frequency during a packet exchange and tuning the clock to one or more frequencies within a second frequency range after the packet exchange. The clock may be variably tuned to multiple frequencies within either the first or second range.
