Method for detecting gestures using a multi-segment photodiode and one or fewer illumination sources
Granted: December 31, 2019
Patent Number:
10521017
A gesture sensing device includes a multiple segmented photo sensor and a control circuit for processing sensed voltages output from the sensor. The control circuit processes the sensed voltage signals to determine target motion relative to the segmented photo sensor. The control circuit includes an algorithm configured to calculate one of more differential analog signals using the sensed voltage signals output from the segmented photo sensors. A vector is determined according to the…
Electric-field imager for assays
Granted: December 31, 2019
Patent Number:
10520487
This disclosure describes an electric-field imaging system and method of use. In accordance with implementations of the electric-field imaging system, a fluid sample can be placed on top of a pixel-based impedance sensor. An image of the target analytes can be created immediately afterwards. From this image, computer imaging algorithms can determine attributes (e.g., size, type, morphology, volume, distribution, number, concentration, or motility, etc.) of the target analytes.
Transfer triggered microcontroller with orthogonal instruction set
Granted: December 24, 2019
Patent Number:
10514922
A microcontroller includes a program memory, data memory, central processing unit, at least one register module, a memory management unit, and a transport network. Instructions are executed in one clock cycle via an instruction word. The instruction word indicates the source module from which data is to be retrieved and the destination module to which data is to be stored. The address/data capability of an instruction word may be extended via a prefix module. If an operation is performed…
Optical sensor packages employing cloaking layers
Granted: November 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10475937
An optical sensor package includes a substrate, a wall disposed upon the substrate, and a cover layer disposed on the wall. The substrate, the wall, and the cover layer at least partially define a cavity. The optical sensor package also includes a sensor disposed upon the substrate within the cavity. A cloaking layer is disposed upon to the cover layer. The cloaking layer is transmissive to at least a portion of a light spectrum and is configured to at least partially conceal the sensor.…
Controlling the morphology in metal loaded paste material
Granted: November 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10475559
A process for producing a magnetic core material is disclosed. The process includes distributing particles within a solution medium to form a colloidal solution. The process further includes modifying a surface chemistry of the particles by adding one or more additives to the colloidal solution. The process further includes gelating the colloidal solution to form the magnetic core material.
Structure and method for hybrid optical package with glass top cover
Granted: October 29, 2019
Patent Number:
10461066
An optical package containing optical sensor/detector pairs co-housed with a non-optical sensor and processes for fabricating the optical package are described herein. Traditional package structures require the use of clear mold compounds to protect the sensitive dies, but such compounds degrade with time and temperature. The optical package described herein uses a special glass top cover that is transparent in the entire electro-magnetic spectral region required by the contained dies.
High efficiency buck-boost systems and methods
Granted: October 22, 2019
Patent Number:
10454371
Various embodiments of the invention provide for a buck-boost circuit that is immune against being stuck in an undesirable mode of operation. The circuit does not require any additional intermediate states other than buck-mode and boost-mode when managing transitions between buck and boost mode. In certain embodiments, a robust and simple buck-boost topology ensures efficient and rapid transitions by operating comparators that are coupled to switching elements of the buck-boost in such a…
Non-contact temperature measurement sensor
Granted: October 8, 2019
Patent Number:
10436647
The present disclosure is directed to a sensor package having a thermopile sensor and a reference (or dark channel) thermopile sensor disposed therein for temperature measurements. In one or more implementations, the sensor package includes a substrate, a thermopile sensor disposed over the substrate, a reference thermopile sensor disposed over the substrate, a reference temperature sensor disposed over the substrate surface, a lid assembly disposed over the thermopile sensor and the…
MEMS-based wafer level packaging for thermo-electric IR detectors
Granted: October 8, 2019
Patent Number:
10439118
A device and techniques for fabricating the device are described for forming a wafer-level thermal sensor package using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) processes. In one or more implementations, a wafer level thermal sensor package includes a thermopile stack, which includes a substrate, a dielectric membrane, a first thermoelectric layer, a first interlayer dielectric, a second thermoelectric layer, a second interlayer dielectric, a metal connection assembly, a passivation layer,…
Electric-field imager for assays
Granted: October 8, 2019
Patent Number:
10436775
This disclosure describes an electric-field imaging system and method of use. In accordance with implementations of the electric-field imaging system, a fluid sample can be placed on top of a pixel-based impedance sensor. An image of the target analytes can be created immediately afterwards. From this image, computer imaging algorithms can determine attributes (e.g., size, type, morphology, volume, distribution, number, concentration, or motility, etc.) of the target analytes. The…
Optical gesture sensor having a light modifying structure
Granted: October 1, 2019
Patent Number:
10429236
A gesture sensing device includes a single light source and a multiple segmented single photo sensor, or an array of photo sensors, collectively referred to herein as segmented photo sensors. A light modifying structure relays reflected light from the light source onto different segments of the segmented photo sensors. The light modifying structure can be an optical lens structure or a mechanical structure. The different segments of the photo sensor sense reflected light and output…
Secure transaction microcontroller with secure boot loader
Granted: September 24, 2019
Patent Number:
RE47621
A high security microcontroller (such as in a point of sale terminal) includes tamper control circuitry for detecting vulnerability conditions: a write to program memory before the sensitive financial information has been erased, a tamper detect condition, the enabling of a debugger, a power-up condition, an illegal temperature condition, an illegal supply voltage condition, an oscillator fail condition, and a battery removal condition. If the tamper control circuitry detects a…
Power-good detector for ultra-wide band transmitter with emphasis on low power consumption
Granted: September 17, 2019
Patent Number:
10419041
Systems, devices and methods are disclosed using a transmitter architecture to keep the transmitter in a deep sleep mode before activation/enabling. The transmitter tag comprises a power-good-detector, a first regulator and a second regulator. The power-good-detector includes a power-good-latch, a ring oscillator and a ripple counter. Upon disconnecting a GPIO pin from the ground, the power-good-latch sends a Bias_EN signal to the regulator. Upon receipt of the Bias_EN signal, the first…
Method and apparatus for controlling a multichannel TDM device
Granted: September 10, 2019
Patent Number:
10411822
A method for developing TDM data with embedded control data includes obtaining signal data and control data, formatting the signal data and the control data into a plurality of channels of a DIN signal, and transmitting the DIN signal on one line of a 3-bit TDM bus. A multichannel input device includes a control extractor receptive to the three-bit TDM bus and operative to extract CNTL data from the DIN data, a DAI receptive to the 3-bit TDM bus and the channel select input and operative…
Method and device for issuing an access authorization
Granted: September 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10403065
Presented are methods and devices for issuing an authorization for access to a secured area, particularly a building, a room, a vehicle, a computer system or the like, or for starting a machine, a vehicle, a computer or the like, having a monitoring unit comprising a transmitter, a receiver, and an evaluation device, and having a key, a key card or similar, referred to as a key in short below, having a transmitter, a receiver and an electronic device. A permissible position and/or a…
Clock recovery system and method for near field communication with active load modulation
Granted: August 27, 2019
Patent Number:
10396975
A system includes a tank circuit, a synchronization circuit, a transmitter, and a control circuit. The tank circuit is configured to receive a first signal transmitted from a near field communication reader. The synchronization circuit is configured to synchronize a clock to the first signal. The transmitter is configured to transmit data using the clock from the tank circuit to the near field communication reader using active load modulation. The control circuit is configured to disable…
DC-to-DC converter controllers, DC-to-DC converters, and associated methods
Granted: August 27, 2019
Patent Number:
10396673
A DC-to-DC converter controller configured to generate phase control signals to control a plurality of power stages of a DC-to-DC converter where each power stage includes two phases. The DC-to-DC converter controller is configured to generate the phase control signals in a manner which (a) balances magnitude of current processed among the two phases of each power stage and (b) balances magnitude of current processed among the plurality of power stages.
Master slave charging architecture with communication between chargers
Granted: August 27, 2019
Patent Number:
10396582
A battery charging system includes a master charger that receives a supply voltage, outputs a master charging current based on the supply voltage, and selectively outputs a slave charger control signal. At least one slave charger receives the slave charger control signal from the master charger, receives the supply voltage, and selectively outputs a slave charging current based on the slave charger control signal and the supply voltage.
Spot mode functionality for power saving in a sensor system
Granted: August 27, 2019
Patent Number:
10393552
The invention relates to a sensor system, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods of processing a sensing signal from a sensor to generate amplitude and phase controls for driving this sensor in a controlled manner and enabling synchronized operation of the sensor system. A signal processor in the sensor system comprises a sensor readout circuit, an amplitude controller and a phase controller. A subset of functional blocks in the signal processor may alternate between…
Thermal management of thermal sensor in a mobile device
Granted: August 6, 2019
Patent Number:
10371578
A mobile thermal sensor system, a mobile device case, and a process for fabricating a mobile thermal sensor system are described that include using a heat spreader (e.g., a heat sink). In an implementation, the mobile thermal sensor system includes a substrate configured to support an electrical component; a thermal detector package coupled to the substrate, the thermal detector package including a first thermopile, a second thermopile, and a reference temperature detector; and a heat…
