Author: claimsbot

1. A biosensor system for measuring an electric field, said biosensor system comprising:
a sensing plate capacitively coupled to a living body surface, wherein changes in electrical potential at the body surface generate an electric field that induces change in the electrical potential of the sensing plate, the sensing plate including a sensing node positioned in the electric field for generating an input signal from the electric field, the sensing plate separated from the living body surface by an intervening material;
an amplifier configured to amplify the input signal from the sensing node, the amplifier configured to receive the input signal at the input port and to generate an amplified output signal at the output port; and
a switching circuit connected to the input port and a reference voltage, the switching circuit comprising at least one switching device configured to non-continuously close a shunting path from the sensing node to the reference voltage to reset the sensing node connected to the input port, wherein closing the shunting path from the sensing node to the reference node is performed in response to at least one of the input signal drifting away from the reference voltage by a predetermined amount, and a timing signal.
2. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the reference voltage is a ground.
3. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the reference voltage is within the range of voltages included in the input common-mode voltage range of the amplifier.
4. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one switching device is a transistor.
5. The biosensor system of claim 1, further comprising a unity gain amplifier having a first input port coupled to the input port of the amplifier, the unity gain amplifier configured to output a copy of the voltage at the input port of the amplifier.
6. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the switching circuit further comprises multiple capacitors at least a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected to the reference voltage and at least a second capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected to an activation voltage capable of turning on the at least one switching device.
7. The biosensor system of claim 6, further comprising a unity gain amplifier having a first input port and a first output port, wherein the first input port of the unity pain amplifier is connected to the input port of the amplifier, wherein the first output voltage of the unity pain amplifier is a copy of the voltage at the input port of the amplifier, and wherein the unity gain amplifier is connected to one or more resistors, wherein the one or more resistors are configured to pull the plurality of capacitors to the first output voltage when the at least one switching device is off.
8. The biosensor system of claim 6, further comprising a guard output configured to pull up a base and an emitter node of the at least one switching device when the at least one switching device is off.
9. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one switching device is turned on and off by controlling the inputs of a plurality of capacitors that are configured to supply activation voltage to the at least one switching device.
10. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the input port of the amplifier includes a high impedance input and a low impedance input.
11. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the sensing node is coupled to the high impedance input of the amplifier.
12. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the body surface is a living body surface.
13. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein a dielectric of the sensing capacitor comprises the intervening material between the sensing plate and the body surface.
14. The biosensor system of claim 13, wherein the dielectric includes one of air, hair and clothing.
15. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the amplifier is a voltage amplifier.
16. The biosensor system of claim 15, wherein the sensing plate is connected to the high impedance input of the voltage amplifier.
17. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the sensing plate is configured to function as a first plate of a sensing capacitor and the body surface functions as a second plate of the sensing capacitor.
18. The biosensor system of claim 1, further comprising at least one reset circuit coupled to the switching circuit for turning on and turning off the at least one switching device.
19. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one switching device includes a first switching device and a second switching device.
20. The biosensor system of claim 19, wherein the first switching device and the second switching device are activated one at a time periodically.
21. The biosensor system of claim 20, wherein the duration of the times that the first and the second switching devices are activated is based on the direction and amount of a voltage drift on the sensing node.
22. The biosensor system of claim 20, wherein the sequence in which the first and the second switching devices are activated is based on the direction and amount of a voltage drift on the sensing node.
23. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein switching of the at least one switching device partially resets the sensing node.
24. The biosensor system of claim 23, wherein partial reset of the sensing node includes changing the voltage at the sensing node by an adapted to reduce a difference between the voltage at the sensing node and the voltage reference.
25. The biosensor system for of claim 1, wherein the timing signal is generated by a control module that controls one of the period, pulse duration and sequence of the switching.
26. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the reference voltage is varied by a feedback loop configured to optimize the reference voltage.
27. The biosensor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one switching device is activated when the voltage on the input signal approaches the limits of the range of voltages included in the input common-mode voltage range of the amplifier.
28. The biosensor system of claim 1, further comprising a guard output configured to follow the input port having a positive and a negative input with a gain of 1.
29. The biosensor system of claim 28, wherein the guard output is configured to support a guard ring around the positive input.
30. The biosensor system of claim 28, wherein the guard output is configured to drive a shielding metal plate associated with the sensing plate to minimize electric field pickup from sources other than the body surface.
31. A biosensor system for measuring an electric field, said biosensor system comprising:
a sensing plate capacitively coupled to a living body surface, wherein changes in electrical potential on the body surface generate an electric field that induces change in the electrical potential of the sensing plate, the sensing plate including a sensing node positioned in the electric field for generating an input signal from the electric field, the sensing plate separated from the living body surface by an intervening material;
an amplifier configured to amplify the input signal, the amplifier configured to receive the input signal at the input port and to generate an amplified output signal at the output port;
a switching circuit including at least one switching device and a reset circuit including a plurality of capacitors, the plurality of capacitors configured to supply an activation voltage to the at least one switching device to turn on or activate the at least one switching device, the switching circuit connected to the input port and a reference voltage, the switching circuit configured to non-continuously close a shunting path from the sensing node to the reference voltage to reset the sensing node connected to the input port when the at least one switching device is turned on, wherein the activation voltage is triggered by at least one of the input signal drifting away from the reference voltage by a predetermined amount and a timing signal; and
a unity gain amplifier having a first input port and a first output port, the first input port coupled to the input port of the amplifier, wherein the unity gain amplifier is configured to generate a first output voltage at the first output port, and wherein the unity gain amplifier is connected to one or more resistors, wherein the one or more resistors are configured to pull the plurality of capacitors to the first output voltage when the at least one switching device is off.
32. The biosensor system of claim 31, wherein to turn on the at least one switching device, at least a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected to the reference voltage and at least a second capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected to a voltage capable of turning on the at least one switching device.
33. The biosensor system of claim 31, wherein turning on the at least one switching device include closing a switch of the at least one switching device.
34. The biosensor system of claim 33, wherein the switch is closed to short the sensing node to the reference voltage.
35. The biosensor system of claim 31, wherein the reference voltage is ground.
36. The biosensor system of claim 31, wherein the sensing plate is configured to function as a first plate of a sensing capacitor and the body surface functions as a second plate of the sensing capacitor.
37. The biosensor system of claim 31, wherein the first output voltage is a copy of the voltage at the input port of the amplifier.
38. A biosensor system for measuring an electric field generated at a surface of a living body, said biosensor system comprising:
a non-contact sensing plate capacitively coupled to the living body surface, the sensing plate comprising a sensing node positioned in the electric field for generating an input signal corresponding to the electric field;
an amplifier having an input port configured to receive the input signal and generate an amplified output signal; and
a switching circuit connected to the input port and a reference voltage, the switching circuit comprising at least one switching device configured to non-continuously close a shunting path from the sensing node to the reference voltage to reset the sensing node connected to the input port, wherein the at least one switching device is responsive to an the activation voltage triggered by at least one of the input signal drifting away from the reference voltage by a predetermined amount and a timing signal.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A system for use in an audio signal processor to remove sound artifacts from an audio signal during shutdown of the output, comprising:
an input for receiving an audio input signal;
a noise shaping modulator to reduce the input bit width having an order of two or more;
a means by which the reduced bit representation is converted to a single bit time domain output as may be done by a PWM element;
multiple channels where two or more share a common output enable signal
a means by which the time of zero average value of a given channel output may be found;
a means by which the output of the channel may be replaced with a fixed signal representative of a silent audio signal;
a means by which the time of the occurrence of the zero average output value may be compared to the predictable time of the zero average value output of the fixed signal
a means by which channels are in succession compared to prior channels and switched to share the fixed output signal; and
a means by which upon finding the last channel is at the zero average value in synchrony with the prior channel or channels the output of the entire group of channels may be simultaneously disconnected.

1. A method of encapsulating a microelectronic device arranged on a substrate, comprising at least the following steps:
a) formation of a portion of sacrificial material covering at least one part of the microelectronic device, the volume of which occupies a space intended to form at least one part of a cavity in which the device is intended to be encapsulated,
b) deposition of a layer based on at least one getter material, covering at least one part of the portion of sacrificial material,
c) formation of at least one orifice through at least the layer of getter material, forming an access to the portion of sacrificial material,
d) elimination of the portion of sacrificial material via the orifice, forming the cavity in which the microelectronic device is encapsulated,
e) sealing of the cavity.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step a) of formation of the portion of sacrificial material comprises at least the implementation of the following steps:
a1) deposition of a layer based on sacrificial material on the substrate and covering at least the microelectronic device,
a2) formatting of a part of the sacrificial layer, a remaining portion of the sacrificial layer forming said portion of sacrificial material.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, between step a) of formation of the portion of sacrificial material and step b) of deposition of the layer of getter material, a step of thermal flow of the portion of sacrificial material.
4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, between step a) of formation of the portion of sacrificial material and step b) of deposition of the layer of getter material, a step of deposition of a protective layer on the portion of sacrificial material, the layer of getter material being deposited, during step b), on the protective layer, the orifice being moreover formed, during step c), through the protective layer.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the protective layer has a thickness between around 10 nm and 1 \u03bcm andor is based on chromium andor copper.
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, between step b) of deposition of the layer of getter material and step c) of formation of the orifice, a step of deposition of a hermeticity layer on the layer of getter material, the orifice being moreover formed, during step c), through the hermeticity layer.
7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising, between step b) of deposition of the layer of getter material and the step of deposition of the hermeticity layer, a step of etching a part of the layer of getter material, a remaining portion of the layer of getter material partially covering the portion of sacrificial material.
8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the hermeticity layer has a thickness between around 500 nm and 10 \u03bcm, andor is based on titanium andor chromium andor copper andor at least one metal andor based on a material transparent to a range of operating wavelengths of the microelectronic device.
9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, between step b) of deposition of the layer of getter material and step c) of formation of the orifice, a step of etching a part of the layer or layers formed on the portion of sacrificial material, the remaining portions of said deposited layer(s) forming a cover or a part of a cover covering the portion of sacrificial material.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein step e) of sealing comprises the deposition of a layer of a material andor the formation of at least one plug, obstructing the orifice on the getter material or on the hermeticity layer.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the material andor the plug obstructing the orifice are based on a metal andor an oxide andor a getter material.
12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, during step a) of formation of the portion of sacrificial material, the formation of at least one second orifice in the portion of sacrificial material, the layers deposited during subsequent steps also being deposited in said second orifice, forming at least one micro-pillar in the cavity.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the portion of sacrificial material has a thickness between around 1 \u03bcm and 20 \u03bcm, andor the sacrificial material being based on photosensitive resin or at least one metal.
14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the layer of getter material has a thickness between around 200 nm and 5 \u03bcm, andor the getter material being based on titanium andor zirconium andor vanadium.
15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, after step e) of sealing of the cavity, a step of thermal activation of the getter material.
16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, between step c) of formation of the orifice and step d) of elimination, or between step d) of elimination and step e) of sealing, the following steps:
formation of a second portion of sacrificial material on the layer of getter material or on the hermeticity layer, the volume of which occupies a space intended to form at least one part of a second cavity,
deposition of a second layer based on at least one getter material andor a hermeticity layer covering at least one part of the second portion of sacrificial material,
formation of at least one second orifice through at least the second layer of getter material andor the hermeticity layer, forming an access to the second portion of sacrificial material;
and further comprising, between the step of formation of the second orifice and step d) of elimination, or during step d) of elimination, or between step d) of elimination and step e) of sealing, a step of elimination of at least the second portion of sacrificial material via the second orifice, forming the second cavity.
17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising, between the step of deposition of the second layer of getter material andor the hermeticity layer and the step of formation of the second orifice, a step of etching a part of the layer or layers formed on the second portion of sacrificial material, the remaining portions of said deposited layer(s) forming a cover or a part of a cover covering the second portion of sacrificial material.
18. The method according to claim 16, wherein step e) of sealing comprises the deposition of a layer of a material andor the formation of at least one plug, obstructing the second orifice on the second layer of getter material andor on the hermeticity layer.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A control method for an internal combustion engine, which internal combustion engine (M) comprises at least one component (2; 31) moving between two end positions, each moving component (2; 31) transmitting vibrations at the location of at least one of its end positions during the operation of the internal combustion engine (M), the method providing for the acquisition of a signal (Sv; Sc; S) correlated with these vibrations.
2. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the signal (Sv; Sc; S) is correlated with the impact energy determined by the impact of the component against an abutment (2A; 32, 33) disposed in at least one of these end positions.
3. The method of claim 2, characterized in that the speed of impact (Viv; Vic) correlated with the impact is calculated as a function of this signal (Sv; Sc; S).
4. The method of claim 2, characterized in that the instant (tc; tP1, tP2) in which the impact takes place is acquired.
5. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the internal combustion engine (M) comprises a plurality of components (2, 31) moving between two end positions, each moving component (2, 31) transmitting vibrations at the location of at least one of these end positions during the operation of the internal combustion engine (M), the method providing for the acquisition of a signal (Sv; Sc; S) correlated with these vibrations.
6. The method of claim 5, characterized in that these signals (Sv; Sc; S) correlated with the vibrations of the moving components (2, 31) are acquired by means of at least one sensor (42, 43; 44).
7. The method of claim 6, characterized in that the signals (Sv; Sc; S) are filtered in order to isolate the vibrations transmitted by an individual moving component (2; 31).
8. The method of claim 6, characterized in that the sensor (42; 43, 44) is an accelerometer.
9. The method of claim 7, characterized in that the internal combustion engine (M) comprises a detonation sensor (44), the method providing for the use of this sensor (44) to acquire the signal (S).
10. The method of claim 2, characterized in that the moving component is a valve (2) of the internal combustion engine (M) and the abutment is the seat (2A) of the valve (2).
11. The method of claim 10, characterized in that the moving component is a slide (31) of a hydraulic slide distributor valve (16) controlling the valve (2), the slide (31) being adapted to assume two stable positions against two opposing abutments (32, 33).
12. The method of claim 11, characterized in that the positions of the slide (31) are interpolated between the end positions as a function of the signal (Sc).
13. A control device for an internal combustion engine, which internal combustion engine (M) comprises at least one component (2; 31) moving between two end positions, each moving component (2; 31) transmitting vibrations at the location of at least one of its end positions during the operation of the internal combustion engine (M), the device comprising acquisition means (40, 43; 40, 42; 40; 44) for acquiring a signal (Sv; Sc; S) correlated with these vibrations.
14. The device of claim 13, characterized in that the moving component (2; 31) is adapted to impact against at least one abutment (2A; 32, 33) disposed in one of the end positions.
15. The device of claim 14, characterized in that it comprises calculator means (40) for calculating the speed of impact (Viv; Vic) correlated with the impact as a function of the signal (Sv; Sc; S).
16. The device of claim 14, characterized in that it comprises acquisition means (40, 42; 40, 43; 40; 44) for acquiring the instant (tc; tP1; tP2) in which the impact takes place.
17. The device of claim 12, characterized in that the internal combustion engine (M) comprises a plurality of components (2; 31) moving between two end positions, each moving component (2; 31) transmitting vibrations at the location of at least one of its end positions during the operation of the engine (M), the device comprising acquisition means (40, 43; 40, 42; 40; 44) for acquiring a signal (Sv; Sc; S) correlated with these vibrations.
18. The device of claim 17, characterized in that the acquisition means (40, 42; 40, 43; 40; 44) comprise at least one sensor (43, 42; 44).
19. The device of claim 17, characterized in that the acquisition means (40, 42; 40, 43; 40; 44) comprise filters (F1, F2, F3 to FN) adapted to filter the signal (Sv; Sc; S).
20. The device of claim 18, characterized in that the sensor (42, 43; 44) is an accelerometer.
21. The device of claim 19, characterized in that the internal combustion engine (M) comprises a detonation sensor (44), the method providing for the use of this sensor (44) as an accelerometer in order to acquire the signal (S).
22. The device of claim 13, characterized in that the moving component (2; 31) is a valve (2) of the internal combustion engine (M) and the abutment is the seat (2A) of the valve (2).
23. The device of claim 22, characterized in that the moving component is a slide (31) of a hydraulic slide distributor valve (16) controlling the valves (2), the slide (31) being adapted to assume two stable positions against two opposing abutments (32, 33).