Abstract:
A capacitive humidity sensor includes a first electrode, a humidity sensitive dielectric layer, and a second electrode. The humidity sensitive dielectric layer is between the first and the second electrodes. The humidity sensitive dielectric layer is etched at selected regions to form hollow regions between the first and second electrodes.
Abstract:
A spark plug, including an insulator embedding a first metallic electrode axially extending therethrough from a high voltage outer end terminal to the center of the inner end of the insulator from which it protrudes; a metallic ground electrode isolated from the first electrode and having an extended inner termination facing toward the first electrode extending from the insulator tip for defining therebetween a spark gap, a resistive element connected to the ground electrode such that upon mounting the spark plug in an internal combustion engine, the ground electrode electrically connects to the engine body through the resistive element; and to a second outer termination of the ground electrode, adapted to constitute an accessible sensing terminal.
Abstract:
A semiconductor structure including a high-voltage transistor; voltage dropping circuitry, at least part of which is overlapping the high-voltage transistor; at least one intermediate contact point to the voltage dropping circuitry, connected to at least one intermediate position between a first and a second end of the voltage dropping circuitry; and at least one external connection connecting the at least one intermediate contact point to outside of the semiconductor structure.
Abstract:
An embodiment of a method for reducing chroma noise in digital image data and of a corresponding image processor. Chrominance components are subjected to low-pass filtering. The strength of the low-pass filtering is modulated in accordance with the dynamic range of the luminance signal and the dynamic range of each of the two chrominance signals in order to avoid color bleeding at image-object edges. Moreover, the low-pass filtering is selectively applied to pixels with similar luminance and chrominance values only. A combination of down-sampling and up-sampling units is employed so that comparatively small filter kernels may be used for removing chroma noise with low spatial frequency.
Abstract:
A passive bond pad condition sense structure may be configured to be electrically stimulated and tested for detecting an anomalous or altered electrical characteristic caused by stress or aging of the bond pad capacitively coupled to it. The related bond pad condition testing or monitoring system may include relatively simple stimulating and sensing circuits that may be wholly embedded in the integrated circuit device.
Abstract:
An analyzer for biochemical analyses includes a seat for receiving a recipient. A first light source and a second light source illuminate the recipient with a luminous radiation, respectively, in a first excitation band and in a second excitation band, including a first excitation wavelength and a second excitation wavelength of fluorophores of a first type and of a second type. A first image sensor and a second image sensor are oriented so as to receive light emitted by fluorophores contained in the recipient and are, respectively, provided with a first detection filter and a second detection filter, having, respectively, a first detection passband and a second detection passband, including, respectively, a first emission wavelength and a second emission wavelength of the fluorophores of the first type and of the second type.
Abstract:
An analog-to-digital converter device may include an input multiplexer circuit having analog input terminals configured to receive a respective plurality of analog input signals. The input multiplexer circuit may be responsive to a first select input. The device may also include a trigger multiplexer circuit having input terminals configured to receive respective triggering signals. The trigger multiplexer circuit may be responsive to a second select input. Analog-to-digital converter circuitry may be configured to convert the selected analog signal into a digital signal. A sequence arbiter may be coupled to the first and second select inputs and may have input terminals configured to receive a respective plurality of conversion sequence configuration signals. The sequence arbiter may be configured to manage each conversion sequence of the analog-to-digital converter circuitry based upon the relative conversion sequence configuration signal received, and control the conversion sequences.
Abstract:
The trimming circuit includes a plurality of trimmable resistances that may be coupled among them, each resistance being connected in parallel to a respective fuse. The trimming circuit allows burning any number of fuses according to a fixed trimming sequence using only one or two dedicated pins because it includes an input diode-connected transistor and a plurality of trimming transistors of different sectional area, each connected to force current throughout a respective one of the shunt fuses and coupled to the input diode-connected transistor such to mirror the current flowing therethrough. The fuses of the trimming circuit may be burnt by applying a trimming voltage to the diode-connected input transistor with a voltage generator connected between a dedicated pin of the circuit and a terminal at a reference potential, such to force a current therethrough as long as the mirrored currents flowing throughout the fuses burn them.
Abstract:
An embodiment concerns the field of real-time location systems (RTLS) based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) measurements. An embodiment is based on determining the distances between wireless device of a network based on a model that describes the relation of the RSSI value relative to the packet exchanged between nodes as a function of the distance, wherein said model depends on at least one characteristic parameter of the transmission channel and wherein at least said characteristic parameter of the transmission channel is determined periodically and automatically, exploiting the known distances among fixed nodes. In this way, the errors relative to possible time-variability of the transmission channel are reduced and the accuracy and stability of the location measurements are increased.
Abstract:
A memory base cell stores a bit of information implemented from a regular and compact structure made up of multiple identical and replicated base elements, on the “sea of gates” Model, in which the base element of the structure is a cell able to be configured with a minimum width in relation to the particular technology used. Such a cell includes a bistable element with an input node operatively connected to a writing data line of the memory base cell, and an output node operatively connected to a reading data line of the memory base cell. The bistable element also has a first inverter and a second inverter arranged in a feedback configuration with respect to one another between the input node and the output node of the bistable element.