Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Nxp Usa, Inc.

Davor Bogavac

Michael Andreas Staudenmaier

Vincent Aubineau

Michael Rohleder

Florian Bogenberger

An audio unit, connected or connectable to a safety-critical apparatus, or integrated or integrable in the apparatus, is proposed. The audio unit may comprise a driver unit, a detection unit, and an alert unit. The driver unit may generate an analog audio signal in response to a request from the apparatus, to drive an acoustic output unit and thereby generate an acoustic signal for a user of the apparatus. The detection unit may detect the audio signal. The alert unit may generate an alert signal in response to the request if the detection unit has not detected the audio signal. It can thus be checked whether the acoustic signal is generated. A method for generating a safety critical acoustic signal is also described.

Audio unit and method for generating a safety critical audio signal

A display controller comprising a blending stage and a blending controller. The blending stage is provided for blending multiple image layers into one display output image and comprises a plurality of input channels for receiving pixel data for the multiple image layers. The blending stage further comprises multiple blenders for combining the pixel data received by at least two input channels of the plurality of input channels. The blending controller is coupled to the blending stage for controlling operation of the blending stage. The blending stage further comprises a controllable switch for coupling an output of at least one blender of the multiple blenders to a display output of the blending stage for regular on-the-fly blending or to an offline blending memory for storing a result of an offline blending task. The blending controller comprises an input for receiving layer data describing locations and/or properties of the multiple image layers and a predictor for, based on the layer data, predicting an availability of the at least one blender. The blending controller is further operative to control the blending stage to perform the offline blending task in dependence of the predicted availability.

Display controller with blending stage

A safety critical apparatus comprises a set of safety relevant modules; one or more comfort modules having one or more user interfaces; and a distraction controlling device arranged to adapt at least one of the one or more user interfaces to a current situation of operation of the safety critical apparatus. The distraction controlling device comprises an operator imposition estimation unit arranged to receive a set of safety relevant status signals from the set of safety relevant modules and to provide a current acceptable-distraction threshold value depending on the set of safety relevant status signals; a distraction managing unit arranged to receive one or more comfort status signals from the one or more comfort modules and to provide a current distraction value depending on the one or more comfort status signals; and a decision unit arranged to receive the current acceptable-distraction threshold value and the current distraction value and to provide one or more deactivation decision signals for the one or more user interfaces of the one or more comfort modules when the current distraction value exceeds the current acceptable-distraction threshold value.

Safety critical apparatus and method for controlling distraction of an operator of a safety critical apparatus

A display controller includes a controller input connectable to receive first image data representing a non-safety relevant part of an image to be displayed on a display and to receive second image data representing a safety relevant part of the image. A merging unit is connected to the controller input, for composing the image from the first image data and second image data. A controller output is connectable to the display, for outputting display data representing the image. An image monitor is connected to the controller output, for comparing a part of the image corresponding to the safety relevant part with an reference for the part.

Display controller, image processing system, display system, apparatus and computer program product

A memory system including a first memory for storing data and an ECC unit for accessing the first memory and for detecting errors in data retrieved from the first memory, and characterised by an error further processing arrangement operable to process errors detected by the ECC unit, the error further processing arrangement including a second memory for recording information relating to the detected errors. Also described is a method of operation in the memory system.

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Kallered, Sweden

Davor Bogavac