MEMS pressure sensor with improved insensitivity to thermo-mechanical stress
Granted: May 31, 2016
Patent Number:
9352955
This invention relates generally to semiconductor manufacturing and packaging and more specifically to semiconductor manufacturing in MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems) inertial sensing products. Embodiments of the present invention improve pressure sensor performance (e.g., absolute and relative accuracy) by increasing pressure insensitivity to changes in thermo-mechanical stress. The pressure insensitivity can be achieved by using the array of pressure sensing membranes, suspended…
Multi-factor authentication sensor for providing improved identification
Granted: May 24, 2016
Patent Number:
9349035
A mobile device configured to authenticate a user, an authentication system, and method for use of the mobile device and authentication system are described that include a biometric sensor, a touchscreen sensor, and/or a fingerprint sensor, where the biometric sensor, the touchscreen sensor, and/or the fingerprint sensor are coupled to a controller configured to authenticate a computing device user. In implementations, the mobile device that employs example techniques in accordance with…
Gesture detection and recognition based upon measurement and tracking of light intensity ratios within an array of photodetectors
Granted: May 24, 2016
Patent Number:
9348462
Techniques are described for tracking and recognizing gestures performed within a field-of-view of a sensor. In one or more implementations, the techniques may be implemented within an electronic device that is configured to receive a signal from a sensor in response to the sensor detecting a gesture occurring within a field of view of the sensor. A lens is positioned over the sensor to collimate light incident on the lens and to pass the collimated light to the sensor. The electronic…
Method and apparatus for providing power to an electronic device
Granted: May 24, 2016
Patent Number:
9348382
In an embodiment, set forth by way of example and not limitation a USB power converter for an electronic device includes a USB bus including VBUS power line, a D? data line and a D+ data line, a variable voltage converter, a processor clock, a USB transceiver coupled to the D? data line and the D+ data line, and a processor coupled to processor clock and to the USB transceiver. Preferably, the variable voltage converter has an alternating current (AC) input, a direct current (DC) output…
Dynamic speaker management with echo cancellation
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9344050
A system for echo cancellation includes a dynamic speaker management (DSM) module, a current/voltage sensing amplifier, a sound pressure level (SPL) model module and an echo canceller. The example DSM module is receptive to a far-end signal and is operative to develop a modified far-end signal and a plurality of parameter outputs. The example current/voltage sensing amplifier is coupled to the modified far-end signal and develops an amplifier output, a voltage (V) parameter output, and a…
Stacked wafer-level package device
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9343430
Wafer-level package devices are described that include multiple die packaged into a single wafer-level package device. In an implementation, a wafer-level package device includes a semiconductor device having at least one electrical interconnection formed therein. At least one semiconductor package device is positioned over the first surface of the semiconductor device. The semiconductor package device includes one or more micro-solder bumps. The wafer-level package device further…
Use of device assembly for a generalization of three-dimensional metal interconnect technologies
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9343426
An assembly process properly positions and align a plurality of first die within a carrier substrate. The first die are positioned within cavities formed in the carrier substrate. The carrier substrate is then aligned with a second substrate having a plurality of second die fabricated therein. The first die and the second die are fabricated using different technologies. Aligning the carrier substrate and the second substrate aligns the first die with the second die. One or more first die…
Method and apparatus for activating electronic devices with gestures
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9342159
An electronic device with gesture activation includes a body having at least one infrared (IR) transmissive window, an IR gesture detection sensor aligned with the transmissive window, a processor coupled to the gesture detection sensor and digital memory coupled to the processor. The digital memory includes code segments executable on the processor for starting a timer if a first gesture of an activation gesture sequence including an ordered plurality of gestures is received while at…
Apparatus and method of keeping time of day over an industrial temperature range
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9342054
Various embodiments of the invention relate generally to real-time clock circuit, and more particularly to systems, devices and methods of integrating two oscillators in one real-time clock circuit to generate accurate time of day over an industrial temperature range. A primary oscillator is employed to generate a first high precision clock while having a higher frequency and consuming more power; a secondary oscillator is employed to generate a second clock that has a low frequency and…
Secure modules using unique identification elements
Granted: May 10, 2016
Patent Number:
9338003
Various embodiments of the invention relate to secure systems and modules, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods of generating and applying identification elements uniquely associated with modules or elements. These unique identification elements provide an improved, statistically random source from which keys may be derived. The application of these keys across various architectures result in an improvement in the security of data communicated within a system.
Precision sub-RADIX2 DAC with analog weight based calibration
Granted: May 10, 2016
Patent Number:
9337860
A system includes a sub-binary radix digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that converts a digital input signal to an analog output signal based on a sub-radix DAC code. A radix conversion module performs radix conversion on the digital input signal. To perform the radix conversion, the radix conversion module associates bit positions corresponding to the digital input signal with respective analog weights and converts the digital input signal to the sub-radix DAC code based on the…
Transponder
Granted: May 10, 2016
Patent Number:
9335744
A transponder for receiving a wireless electromagnetic query signal and for transmitting a wireless electromagnetic response signal with a coil acting as a first antenna for generating a first wired electrical incoming signal from the query signal and with at least one further coil acting as an antenna for generating a further wired electrical incoming signal from the query signal, and wherein an axis of the first coil and an axis of the further coil are differently aligned in space, and…
Bonded stacked wafers and methods of electroplating bonded stacked wafers
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9331048
A method including: providing a first wafer stack; applying a first bonding layer on the first wafer stack; providing a second wafer stack, where the second wafer stack includes vias; and applying a second bonding layer to the second wafer stack. The vias extend through the second wafer stack and to the second bonding layer. The second bonding layer is bonded to the first bonding layer. A seed layer is applied on a side of the second wafer stack opposite the second bonding layer such…
VCOM amplifier with fast-switching gain
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9330624
Electronic devices with a VCOM display panel are configured to provide a common voltage VCOM to a VCOM display panel backplane, referred to as a VCOM reference plane. The common voltage is supplied by a VCOM application circuit coupled to the VCOM reference plane. The VCOM application circuit includes a VCOM amplifier having a closed-loop gain. The VCOM application circuit is configurable to quickly adjust the closed-loop gain so as to adjust the settling characteristics of the common…
Innovative angular sensor read-out multi-axes digital front-end chain
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9329042
The invention relates to a controller, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods of processing multiple sensor signals of a gyroscope. The signal processor includes: a front end amplifier for converting a signal into a voltage variation signal; at least one analog-to-digital converter coupled to the front end amplifier and operative to convert an analog signal into a digital signal; and at least one demodulator coupled to the analog-to-digital converter and operative to…
Wafer-level passive device integration
Granted: April 26, 2016
Patent Number:
9324687
A device and fabrication techniques are described that employ wafer-level packaging techniques to fabricate semiconductor devices that include an embedded integrated circuit chip device and an embedded passive device on a semiconductor wafer device. In implementations, the wafer-level package device includes a semiconductor wafer device, an embedded integrated circuit chip, an embedded passive device, an encapsulation structure covering at least a portion of the semiconductor wafer…
Multichip wafer level package (WLP) optical device
Granted: April 26, 2016
Patent Number:
9322901
Optical devices are described that integrate multiple heterogeneous components in a single, compact package. In one or more implementations, the optical devices include a carrier substrate having a surface that includes two or more cavities formed therein. One or more optical component devices are disposed within the respective cavities in a predetermined arrangement. A cover is disposed on the surface of the carrier substrate so that the cover at least substantially encloses the optical…
Nondispersive infrared micro-optics sensor for blood alcohol concentration measurements
Granted: April 26, 2016
Patent Number:
9322756
A nondispersive infrared (NDIR) micro-optics sensor package is described that includes one or more light sources, a photodetector, and control circuitry coupled to the one or more light sources to non-invasively measure blood alcohol concentration, such as without utilizing ex vivo bodily fluids for the measurements. Additionally, a mobile phone device configured to measure blood alcohol concentration is described that includes a mobile phone system and an NDIR micro-optics sensor…
Side wettable plating for semiconductor chip package
Granted: April 19, 2016
Patent Number:
9318462
A method for providing a semiconductor chip package with side wettable plating includes singulating a semiconductor chip package from an array of packages formed in a block format, immersing the semiconductor chip package in a bath of plating solution, contacting a lead land of the semiconductor chip package with conductive contact material within the bath of plating solution, connecting the conductive contact material to a cathode electrical potential, connecting an anode within the…
Interleaving error correction and adaptive sample frequency hopping for time-interleaved analog-to-digital converters
Granted: April 19, 2016
Patent Number:
9319058
Methods and apparatus for blind detection and correction of interleaving errors using all-digital processing of data output by multiple sub-ADCs of a time-interleaved ADC are disclosed. The methods and apparatus detect and correct frequency-dependent timing and gain mismatches of the sub-ADCs of the time-interleaved ADC using a novel multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) filter structure. Additionally, a novel adaptive sampling frequency hopping scheme is proposed to achieve…
