Abstract:
The present invention relates to a 8Mb application-specific embeddable flash memory. It comprises three content-specific I/O ports and delivers a peak read throughput of 1.2GB/s. The memory is combined with a special automatic programming gate voltage ramp generator circuit, a programming rate of 1 Mbyte/s for non-volatile storage of code, data and embedded FPGA bit stream configurations. The test chip has been designed using a NOR type 0.18µm flash embedded technology with 1.8V power supply, two poly, six metal and memory cell size of 0.35µm 2 .
Abstract:
Protocol-based communication between a host device (10), such as e.g. an MP3 player, a digital camera, a palmtop, and so on, and an interface such as e.g. a flash mass storage card, is established automatically by: - providing, in the interface (12), a plurality of protocol-supporting facilities (16a, 16b, ..., 16n), each facility supporting communication with the host device (10) based on a respective protocol, - sending from the host device (10) towards the interface (12) a query message (200) specifying at least one protocol for use in protocol-based communication, - searching, within the plurality of protocol-supporting facilities (16a, 16b, ..., 16n) provided in the interface (12) one protocol-supporting facility supporting the protocol proposed in the query message (200), and - if such protocol-supporting facility is found within the plurality of protocol-supporting facilities (16a, 16b, ..., 16n) provided in the interface (12), setting up the protocol-based communication between the host device (10) and the interface (12) based on the protocol proposed in the query message (200) issued from the host device (10).
Abstract:
The electronic device (1) is integrated in a chip (50) of semiconductor material, and comprises a control unit (3), a signal-conversion unit (4), and a non-volatile memory unit (5), which are connected together via a main transmission line (6). The signal-conversion unit (4) is designed to receive at input an analog signal correlated to a voice signal, and to generate at output a stream of appropriately compressed digital signals. The stream of compressed digital signals is then stored in pre-set memory locations of the non-volatile memory unit (5) according to the control signals generated by the control unit (3). During reproduction, the compressed digital signals stored in the non-volatile memory unit (5) are supplied to the signal-conversion unit (4), which decompresses them and sends them to a loudspeaker (43).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method of expanding the functional capabilities of portable electronic devices (1) with user friendly modes, wherein a host device (1) is associated a quick-connect function-expanding module (8). In this method:
at each installation of a given module (8), the functional expansion module and the host device (1) recognize each other; on first installation of a given module (8) in the host device (1), a series of checking operations are carried out automatically; the user can select to activate the available expansion; and once a given application is selected, the configuration and functions required for each application are stored up.
Abstract:
A system-on-chip arrangement includes, in possible combination with a processor (100): - a plurality of reconfigurable gate array devices (1001, 1002, 1003), and - a configurable Network-on-Chip (1004) connecting the gate-array devices (1001, 1002, 1003) to render the arrangement scalable. The arrangement lends itself to be operated by: - mapping in one device of the plurality (1001, 1002, 1003) a set of processing modules, and - configuring another device of the plurality (1001, 1002, 1003) as a microcontroller having stored therein software code portions for controlling inter-operation of the processing modules stored in the one device of the plurality (1001, 1002, 1003). The arrangement is thus adapted e.g. to handle different computational granularity levels.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a dynamically reconfigurable processing unit (1) including an embedded Flash memory device (3) for non-volatile storage of code, data and bit-streams, the unit (1) being integrated into a single chip together with a microprocessor (2) core. Advantageously, the processing unit further comprises an S-RAM based embedded FPGA unit structured for FPGA reconfigurations having a specific programming interface (7) connected to a port (FP) of said Flash memory device (4) through a DMA channel (8).
Abstract:
The voice message managing method for a voice data recording/playing/editing electronic device (1), said electronic device (1) including a memory device (2) having a first memory area (3) and a second memory area (4), comprises the steps of memorizing, in the first memory area (3), a plurality of voice messages, and of memorizing, in the second memory area (4), information regarding the plurality of voice messages. The method also includes the steps of organizing the first memory area (3) as a sequence of blocks (3a), and of memorizing in each block (3a) a portion of voice message. The method moreover comprises the steps of defining a list (FBL) containing information on the status of the blocks (3a) and memorizing the list (FBL) in a first memory sub-area (5) of the second memory area (4), and of defining a table (MAT) containing a plurality of first vectors (HEAD_MSG) associated to respective voice messages and memorizing this table (MAT) in a second memory sub-area (6) of the second memory area (4).