Capacitance sensing and inductance sensing in different modes
Granted: April 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10635246
An apparatus for inductive sensing or capacitive sensing is described. The apparatus may include a signal generator to output on a first terminal a first signal in a first mode and a second signal in a second mode. The apparatus may include a charge measuring circuit to receive on a second terminal a third signal in the first mode and a fourth signal in the second mode. The third signal is representative of an inductance of a sense unit coupled between the first terminal and the second…
Combined analog architecture and functionality in a mixed-signal array
Granted: April 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10634722
A programmable device comprises a plurality of programmable blocks, a debug interface coupled with the plurality of programmable blocks, a debug interface coupled with the plurality of programmable blocks, and a power manger coupled with the plurality of programmable blocks. The power manager is configured to supply power to a subset of the plurality of programmable blocks during debugging of the subset while maintaining a different subset of the plurality of programmable blocks in a…
Systems and methods for downloading code and data into a secure non-volatile memory
Granted: April 21, 2020
Patent Number:
10630482
An example secure embedded device includes a secure non-volatile memory coupled to a processor. The processor provides a scramble or cipher key and uses a scramble algorithm or a cipher algorithm to scramble or cipher information received from an external device into transformed information. The processor writes a least a portion of the transformed information to a plurality of memory locations of the secure non-volatile memory. The plurality of memory locations is based on the scramble…
Reverse overcurrent protection for universal serial bus type-C (USB-C) connector systems
Granted: April 21, 2020
Patent Number:
10630028
An electronic device includes a first electronic circuitry portion configured to connect a VCONN supply terminal of a Universal Serial Bus Type-C (USB-C) controller to a first configuration channel (CC) terminal of a plurality of CC terminals of the USB-C controller. The first CC terminal of the USB-C controller is to be directly connected to a first CC terminal of a plurality of CC terminals of a USB-C receptacle. The electronic device further includes a second electronic circuitry…
Lateral charge storage region formation for semiconductor wordline
Granted: April 14, 2020
Patent Number:
10622487
Devices and methods for forming charge storage regions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor layer having a trench, charge storage layers formed at both side surfaces of the trench, a wordline buried in the trench in contact with the charge storage layers, and source-drain regions formed in the semiconductor layer at both sides of the trench.
Systems and methods for adjusting receive sensitivity using collocated communication circuitry
Granted: April 7, 2020
Patent Number:
10615829
Example systems and methods of a wireless device use first communication circuitry of the wireless device to determine a first signal level associated with a first radio frequency signal and use second communication circuitry of the wireless device to determine a second signal level associated with a second radio frequency signal. Systems and methods generate a sensitivity adjustment value based on the first signal level and the second signal level, and use the sensitivity adjustment…
Variable read latency on a serial memory bus
Granted: April 7, 2020
Patent Number:
10613997
Systems and/or methods are provided that facilitate employing a variable read latency on a serial memory bus. In an aspect, a memory can utilize an undefined amount of time to obtain data from a memory array and prepare the data for transfer on the serial memory bus. The serial memory bus can be driven to a defined state. When data is ready for transfer, the memory can assert a start bit on the serial memory bus to notify a host prior to initiating the data transfer.
Security network controller
Granted: March 31, 2020
Patent Number:
10609005
A method includes using a direct memory access controller, transferring first data from a memory to an input/output control circuit via a first bus and transferring the first data from the input/output control circuit to an authentication processing circuit via a second bus, without using the first bus. The method includes using the authentication processing circuit, generating authentication data based on the first data and transferring the first data from the input/output control…
Anti-spoofing protection for fingerprint controllers
Granted: March 24, 2020
Patent Number:
10599911
A method for detecting fingerprint spoof objects includes detecting a presence of the object at a fingerprint sensor and, in response to detecting the presence of the object, measuring a set of physical properties of the object based on one or more signals from a set of electrodes of the fingerprint sensor. The set of physical properties includes at least one of a subdermal compliance of the object and a surface adhesiveness of the object. The method further includes distinguishing the…
Reducing power consumption in computing devices with wireless network interfaces
Granted: March 24, 2020
Patent Number:
10602444
An apparatus includes a wireless transceiver configured to communicate data with a network device. The apparatus also includes a processing device, operatively coupled with the wireless transceiver. The processing device is configured to determine whether a computing device coupled to the apparatus has data to transmit to the network device. The processing device is also configured to transmit a first message indicating that the computing device does not have data to transmit to the…
Programmable VBUS discharge in USB power delivery
Granted: March 24, 2020
Patent Number:
10599597
Techniques for voltage discharge from a USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) VBUS line are described herein. In an example embodiment, an integrated circuit comprises a discharge control logic coupled to a first discharge circuit and to a second discharge circuit. The first discharge circuit configured to couple to a power source node on the VBUS line. The second discharge circuit configured to couple to an output node on the VBUS line. The discharge control logic is configured to independently…
Generating and analyzing network profile data
Granted: March 17, 2020
Patent Number:
10594725
A device may generate network profile data indicating a set of network parameters detected by the device. The device may encrypt the network profile data and may transmit the encrypted network profile data to a network device, such as a router, or a server. The router or server may analyze the encrypted network profile data to determine if the device is secure. The router of server may perform one or more security measures if the device is not secure.
Split-gate semiconductor device with L-shaped gate
Granted: March 17, 2020
Patent Number:
10593688
A semiconductor device having a substrate, a dielectric layer over the substrate, a first gate conductor, an inter-gate dielectric structure and a second gate conductor is disclosed. A gate dielectric structure is disposed between the first gate conductor and the dielectric layer, and may include two or more dielectric films disposed in an alternating manner. The inter-gate dielectric structure may be disposed between the first gate conductor and the second gate conductor, and may…
System and methods for low power consumption by a wireless sensor device
Granted: March 10, 2020
Patent Number:
10587302
An example system and method operate a wireless device in a first mode with power to operate a communication resource of the wireless device turned off. While operating the wireless device in the first mode, the system and method detects a voice attribute in a first portion of audio data, the audio data based on microphone input. Responsive to the detection of the voice attribute, the system and method transitions to the wireless device to operate in a second mode with power to operate…
Ferroelectric random access memory sensing scheme
Granted: March 10, 2020
Patent Number:
10586583
Semiconductor memory devices and methods of operating the same are provided. The method of operation may include the steps of selecting a ferroelectric memory cell for a read operation, coupling a first pulse signal to interrogate the selected ferroelectric memory cell, the selected ferroelectric memory cell outputting a memory signal to a bit-line in response to the first pulse signal, coupling the memory signal to a first input of a sense amplifier via the bit-line, electrically…
Methods and sensors for multiphase scanning in the fingerprint and touch applications
Granted: March 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10579849
Techniques for multi-phase scanning based on pseudo-random sequences in capacitive fingerprint applications are described herein. In an example embodiment, a method performed by a processing device comprises: receiving measurements that are representative of a portion of a finger on a capacitive fingerprint sensor array, where the measurements are obtained from sensor elements of the capacitive fingerprint sensor array that are scanned in a multi-phase mode based on an excitation vector…
Spatial-frequency-based capacitive motion sensor and method of using the same
Granted: March 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10579193
A spatial frequency based capacitive motion sensor and method of operating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the motion sensor includes an array of sense cells to capacitively sense capacitance variations induced by a surface in proximity to the array. The motion sensor further includes processing circuitry including a multiplexer and a processor to process motion dependent output signals from the array to measure motion of the surface in a direction parallel to a surface of the…
Uniformity correction method for low cost and non-rectangular touch sensor matrices
Granted: February 25, 2020
Patent Number:
10572068
Systems and methods access a correction value in a correction matrix. The correction matrix defines an active region of a touch array that includes plurality of unit cells. The correction value corresponds to a unit cell of the plurality of unit cells. Systems and methods modify a touch sense value of the unit cell using the correction value, based on the unit cell being partially within the active region. Systems and methods detect an object using the touch array, based on the modified…
NAND memory cell string having a stacked select gate structure and process for for forming same
Granted: February 18, 2020
Patent Number:
10566341
A memory string is disclosed including a plurality of core cells serially connected between a source select gate and a drain select gate along a channel. Each core cell includes a wordline separated from the channel by a stack of layers including a charge trapping layer. At least one of the source and drain select gates is a stacked select gate with a plurality of components, including a first component adjacent to the plurality of core cells and a second component separated from the…
Low power capacitive sensor button
Granted: February 11, 2020
Patent Number:
10558313
Systems and methods receive multiple of trigger signals and responsive to each trigger signal transition a sensing block from operating in a first mode to operating in a second mode by turning on power to one or more portions of the sensing block. Operating in the second mode includes performing multiple sensor scans during multiple sensing periods of a monitoring period. Based on performing a first scan during a first sensing period, systems and methods transition from operating the…
