Abstract:
The method of filtering data concerning an electronic program guide (EPG) in a television receiver having a device for automatically searching television channels includes supplying a list of CNI codes of all or some of the channels received by the television receiver to a memory. The method includes obtaining, from the SUMMARY of the guide, a MODIFIED SUMMARY containing only the information of the SUMMARY concerning all or some of the channels received by the television receiver, and recording only the data blocks of the CONTENTS of the guide in a memory when they correspond to all or some of the channels received by the television receiver.
Abstract:
The frequency synthesizer includes a phase-locked loop (PLL). The PLL includes an oscillator controlled to deliver an output signal at a predefined output frequency, a variable frequency divider to convert the output signal into a divided-frequency signal, a phase comparator to produce a signal measuring a phase difference between the divided-frequency signal and a reference signal at a reference frequency, and a loop filter to control the oscillator on the basis of the measurement signal. To increase the speed of convergence of the synthesizer if the set point is changed, the loop filter of the PLL is a fractional, i.e. non-integer, order low-pass filter.
Abstract:
A device is provided for electrically connecting an integrated circuit chip. The device includes a main board, an intermediate board, and electrical connection balls in a space separating the boards. In the space, a peripheral zone comprises a peripheral matrix of balls, a central zone comprises a central matrix of balls, a first secondary zone comprises a matrix of electrical connection vias linked to the balls of the two adjacent rows of balls of the peripheral matrix, and a second secondary zone comprises a matrix of electrical connection vias linked to balls of the central matrix. The first secondary zone and the second secondary zone are separated by an intermediate zone that includes at least a first part having at least one complementary row of electrical connection balls, and a second part having complementary electrical connection vias linked to the balls of this complementary row.
Abstract:
A microprocessor is provided with protection circuits to secure access to its registers. The microprocessor includes a plurality of protection circuits, each associated with a register of the microprocessor. The protection circuits automatically block selection of the registers after each resetting of the microprocessor. The releasing of a protection circuit associated with a register is done by the successive sending, on the data bus, of N passwords proper to the register during N first operations for the selection of the register with N≧1. The selection of the register is effective only for the subsequent operations for selection of the register up to the next resetting of the microprocessor.
Abstract:
The process includes depositing a filling material in trenches formed in at least one layer of dielectric so as to fill open pores in the dielectric. The filling material is intended to prevent the subsequent diffusion of the interconnect metal and/or of a metal of a diffusion barrier, and may be non-porous. The filling material preferably has a low dielectric constant.
Abstract:
The manufacturing of electronic components on individual substrates made of an insulating material includes molding, in a silicon wafer, an insulating material with a thickness corresponding to the final thickness desired for the substrates, manufacturing the electronic components, and removing the silicon from the rear surface of the wafer after manufacturing of the components.
Abstract:
A method for programming a DMA controller of a system on a chip that includes a CPU, an MMU, and a DMA controller including source, destination, and size registers associated with a base subaddress. In response to a first instruction of a user program that includes a virtual address, the virtual address is translated into a corresponding physical address, and the physical address is stored in a buffer register that is inaccessible to the user program. In response to a second instruction of the user program, the physical address stored in the buffer register is applied to the data bus and a first word including high-order bits indicating the base subaddress is applied to the address bus. The source or destination register is selected according to the first word applied to the address bus and the physical address applied to the data bus is stored in the selected register.
Abstract:
A process for selectively doping predetermined resistive elements on an electronic chip is provided. The resistive elements are arranged in a pattern, and there are three phases in the process. The first phase electrically charges selected elements of the pattern. The second phase adds doping atoms to the charged elements as a function of their state of charge. The third phase anneals the electronic chip to cause penetration of the doping agents and to activate them.
Abstract:
An optical mouse includes an image sensor for providing image data via an analog-to-digital converter to a correlation circuit and a motion estimation circuit to provide output signals representative of motion of the mouse. The output signals may be disabled when the mouse is lifted away from the working surface. This may be achieved by high-pass filtering the signals, summing each frame in a summer to provide a single value, and comparing this to a threshold. If the filtered and summed value exceeds the threshold, this may indicate that the image contains in-focus objects, and that the mouse is on the working surface.
Abstract:
A memory cell (1), includes: a flip-flop (2) that has additional read/write terminals; a 1-bit write line (wb11); a first transistor (T4) switching between the 1-bit write line and the terminal, its gate being connected to a word selection line (W11); a 0-bit write line (wb10); a second transistor (T3) switching between the 0-bit write line and the terminal, its gate being connected to a word selection line (W12); a bit read line (b1r); and read transistors (T1, T2), with one of their gates being connected to a read/write terminal and the other being connected to a word selection line. The invention particularly allows the surface area and complexity of a memory cell to be reduced.