Abstract:
Disclosed is a fault tolerant CMOS image sensor that includes circuitry for identifying defective pixels and masking them during image generation. Masking may involve, in one example, replacing the output of a given pixel with an average of the output of surrounding non-faulty pixels. Thus, while image sensors may be fabricated with some number of faulty pixels, the images produced by such sensors will not have undesirable bright or dark spots. The disclosed sensor includes (a) one or more pixels (active or passive) capable of providing outputs indicative of a quantity of radiation to which each of the one or more pixels has been exposed; and (b) one or more circuit elements electrically coupled to the one or more pixels and configured to identify and correct faulty pixels in the CMOS imager. The one more pixels each include a photodiode diffusion formed in a well and a tap to power or ground also formed in the well. The disclosed sensor also identifies pixels that were initially acceptable but later became defective. The newly defective pixels so identified may then be masked to thereby increase the CMOS detector lifetime.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for detecting the back electromotive force in a three-phase brushless DC motor driven in Half-Bridge configuration and operated continuously in a pulse width modulated mode. A difference signal indicative of the difference between the centre tap voltage and the voltage of at least one of the phases is obtained during a tri-stated condition of the phase and used to produce a method of back electromotive force. The difference signal is obtained during an on cycle of the pulse width modulation and a reconstructed signal indicative of the back electromagnetic force can be generated from sequential difference signals using a sample and hold technique in which a slope compensation is applied to the hold values.
Abstract:
In a synchronous motor a premagnetized rotor (permanent magnet or reluctance) is driven by a magnetic field generated in the stator coils synchronously in relation to the frequency of the driving current in the magnetic field thus generated. The problem that arises with this type of motor is that magnetic field energy stored in a stator coil cannot be exclusively converted into kinetic energy of the rotor. The invention aims to use in an advantageous manner this residual energy, which at present cannot be utilized. According to the invention, the problem is solved by providing an electronic power element for a synchronous motor, comprising means for transferring to another phase winding, by switching to said other phase winding, the residual energy which is stored in the inductance of one phase winding when said phase winding is subjected to an electric current but which is not converted into kinetic energy. In this way, the residual energy is not lost in the form of power loss, but is used again, under deduction of the losses that are inevitable for reasons of physics, for driving the rotor, although this time with the respective other phase winding.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for correcting colour difference signals in a colour television video processor utilising a luminance stretch function. The level of input laminance signal is detected and a constant amount of compensation to the colour difference signal is applied when the level of the input luminance signal is below a selected input luminance threshold. Above the input luminance signal threshold, an amount of compensation is applied to the difference signals that decreases within increasing input luminance signal level.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for decoding a multi-channel audio bitstream in which adaptive frequency domain downmixer is used to downmix, according to long and shorter transform block length information, the decoded frequency coefficients of the multi-channel audio such that the long and shorter transform block information is maintained separately within the mixed down left and right channels. In this way, the long and shorter transform block coefficients of the mixed down left and right channels can be inverse transformed adaptively according to the long and shorter transform block information, and the results of the inverse transform of the long and short block of each of the left and right channel added together to form the total mixed down output of the left and right channel.
Abstract:
The monolithically integrated device according to this invention comprises a first substrate (SUB) and, at least in a portion: a) a first structure (ST1) of a first material in solid form suitable to absorb hydrogen with ensuing generation of thermal energy, superposed to said substrate (SUB); b) a second structure (ST2) of a second material in solid form suitable to release hydrogen when it reaches a temperature higher than a prefixed temperature, superposed to said substrate (SUB); c) a third structure (ST3) of a third material in solid form suitable to generate thermal energy when it is submitted to the passage of electric current, so placed as to be thermally coupled at least to said second structure (ST2); wherein said first structure (ST1) and said second structure (ST2) are in contact, at least partly, with one another.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a solid fuel for cold nuclear fusion reactors. A reactor suitable for such fuel comprises a quantity (MA) of an absorbing material capable of absorbing hydrogen, and of generating in consequence thermal energy, has the form of a cylindrical container and comprises a quantity (CO) of a fuel capable of releasing hydrogen put in touch with the inner walls of container (MA), and comprises a thermal element (ET) located in the inside and in touch with fuel (CO) to heat it. The fuel according to this invention is constituted by a solid composition including at least one of the chemical elements belonging to the groups III, IV, V of the periodic system, or at least a compound obtained by combining to one another at least two of such elements, and including an effective quantity of hydrogen.
Abstract:
An input voltage-controlled pulse generator (VCO-PWM) for driving a timed converter or switching component with a variable pulse/pause ratio and a set maximum test degree and variable clock frequency.
Abstract:
The proposed drive circuit for an electronically switched electric motor such as a stepping motor comprises a full bridge circuit (I, II) for each motor winding (L1, L2), a current sensor resistance (R), a storage unit (C5) for storing measured values and a control circuit (OP1-OP5). The latter, during one part of the driving phases, regulates the total current flowing through the drive circuit in such a way that it matches a value stored in the storage circuit (C5) for the total current flowing outside the control phases, the purpose of this being to suppress alternating components in the total current supplied via the supply voltage lines.
Abstract:
A Schmitt-trigger is idle except at the switching moments and has for this purpose two comparators (11, 13) with contrary behaviours. An upper comparator (11) which is responsible for the upper limit value of the Schmitt-trigger is idle below said limit value and attracts current above said limit value. A lower comparator (13) which is responsible for the lower limit value of the Schmitt-trigger is idle above said limit value and attracts current below said limit value. A RS-flipflop (15) whose S-input is connected to the output of the upper comparator (11) and whose R-input is connected to the output of the lower comparator (13) stores the change in switching state of the comparator having switched from the idle to the current-conducting state and furthermore switches the comparator having switched into a current-conducting state into an idle state as soon as said comparator has changed its switching state. The Schmitt-trigger is thus always idle, except during the short moments in which the switching state is changed.