Thomson Licensing

Deutsche Thomson-brandt Gmbh

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Heinrich Schemmann

Sabine Roth

Thilo Marx

Steffen Lehr

Petrus Gijsbertus Maria Centen

Thomas Schwanenberger

Jeroen Rotte

Patrick Vogel

Martin Rieger

Mehmet Ipek

Ruud Van Ree

Junbiao Zhang

Friedrich Heizmann

Gunther Karl Haas

Philippe Le Roy

Albrecht Rothermel

Nicolaas Johannes Damstra

Zhi Gang Zhang

Jin Yu

Juergen Kaaden

Volker Neiss

Friedrich Rominger

Michael Grimm

Pierluigi Lo Muzio

Karin Rothermel

R&uuml;diger Brunheim

Boon Keng Teng

Neil Mallory

Karl-Heinz Schaaf

Phillippe Blaud

Jeoren Rotte

Bogdan Braicu

A luminous display includes pixels arranged in rows and columns. Control signals that are used for controlling first switches for measuring parameters of pixel cells in a first row are also used to control second switches for programming pixel cells in a second row. In this way it is possible to use a single control signal for selecting one pixel cell for programming and simultaneously selecting another pixel cell for measuring. Programming and measuring are thus performed in a time staggered manner, while the addressing is moved to the respective next row. The programming is preferably voltage programming. In one embodiment the current through the pixel cell that is currently programmed is interrupted. In another embodiment the measuring is performed only after the transient current into signal holding means coupled to current control means has set.

Luminous display and method for controlling the same

The present invention relates to a circuit for controlling a light emitting element, in particular an organic light emitting diode. The circuit comprises a capacitor connectable with the light emitting element, charging means for charging the capacitor and a switching means. The switching means is adapted to alternately disconnect the capacitor from the light emitting element and connect the capacitor to the light emitting element. The capacitor is alternately charged and discharged. A charging current or a discharge current from the capacitor drives the current of the light emitting element. Said charging means comprises at least one charging transistor for charging the capacitor.

Driver for controlling a light emitting element, in particular an organic light emitting diode

A CMOS image sensor allows for selectively outputting one of two vertical resolutions, e.g. 1080 to 720 lines. The scan conversion is implemented completely on the image sensor chip by using smaller sub-pixel cores, which can be electrically combined via switch transistors. A basic circuit of the CMOS image sensor has a number of pixel cells arranged in lines and columns. Each pixel cell has a photosensitive element that converts impinging light into electric charge and a first transfer element. The first transfer elements of m pixel cells arranged consecutively in the same column are arranged for transferring the charge generated in the respective m photosensitive elements during exposure to a single first charge storage element provided for the respective group of m pixel cells. In an exemplary embodiment the switching scheme allows for combining the signal information of either two or three vertically adjacent sub-pixel cores.

CMOS image sensor with selectable hard-wired binning

The receiver comprises a first amplifier, a mixer for downconverting a wanted communications channel, a second amplifier, a demodulator and a digital controller providing a digital gain setting for the second amplifier by means a digital gain control after a selection of the wanted communications channel, and providing an analog gain setting for the first amplifier by means of an analog gain control during demodulation of the wanted communications channel. The digital gain setting is in particular freezed during demodulation of the wanted communications channel and the digital controller provides a re-calibration of the digital gain setting only, when the analog gain control is out of its control range. Applications are for example for direct conversion digital satellite receivers for reception of DVB-S, DVB-S2 or ABS-S television channels.

Receiver with analog and digital gain control, and respective method

A driving circuit for a display with display elements in rows and/or columns has a shift register, through which tokens are shifted. The shift register's parallel outputs are latched and enable switch cells depending on the tokens. Control signals are supplied to the switch cells which control the output signal in terms of pulse width and/or signal shape. Buffers output the signals to a connected display. Individual or groups of buffers are connected to different supply voltages. The shift register may have more than one input in order to allow for shifting tokens in parallel, e.g. to every second output, using only one clock cycle. Further, inputs are provided for inverting the travelling direction of the tokens, inverting the shape of the signal that is output or switching all outputs to a predetermined state.

Display device driving circuit with independently adjustable power supply voltage for buffers

A circuit for an element of a light-emitting display is proposed. The element comprises a current control means, first and second switching means and a light-emitting means. In one embodiment, a signal holding means is provided. The arrangement of the first and second switching means of the element makes it possible to measure the electrical parameters of the current control means and of the light-emitting means during operation. A light-emitting display having a plurality of elements is furthermore proposed. The light-emitting display has a control circuit and a memory. The measured values of the electrical parameters of the current control means () and of the light-emitting means of the elements are used to correct the control signal S that is used to drive the elements. This enables a uniform brightness distribution in the case of voltage actuation and makes it possible to compensate for temporal changes in the light-emitting means. In addition, a method for actuating the elements and the light-emitting display is proposed.

Circuit and control method for a light-emitting display

Image sensor, which comprises a plurality of pixels arranged as a pixel array with rows and columns and at least one read-out arrangement for reading out the pixels row by row. The columns are grouped into blocks with a certain number N of columns. Each read-out arrangement comprises N column read out circuits and an addressing circuit for with at least two groups of addressing lines for addressing the blocks. The blocks are selectively addressed by the groups of addressing lines in a way that a read-out sequence of blocks addressed by the groups is continuous across all blocks.

Image sensor and method for reading out pixels of the image sensor

In illuminated displays with lighting elements which are driven by means of a control voltage, the voltage drop on a supply line, which supplies two or more lighting elements, is compensated for. The currents for all of the light elements, which are connected to a supply line, and the known resistances are used to calculate the potential profile of the supply line for this purpose. The control voltages for the light elements are changed such that the actual potential on the supply line for each element is taken into account. Fluctuations in the brightness of the illuminated display resulting from potential differences are avoided. One element of an illuminated display has a current control means, a signal retaining means, a light emitting means and means for interrupting the current flow through the light emitting means. The control voltage is adjusted with the current flow interrupted, so that no potential differences exist on the supply line. The signal retaining means hold the control voltage relative to the potential on the line at the respective position of the lighting element. An illuminated display has adjustable voltages for the supply lines. The voltages are chosen to be sufficiently high that the minimum required voltage for setting the desired currents through the lighting elements is achieved.

Method for driving, and a circuit of an element of an illuminated display

A circuit for resetting and reading out a pixel cell of a CMOS image sensor is proposed. The circuit allows for reading out the pixel cell at least two times during a main integration interval, thereby generating at least two pixel signals. The circuit further comprises means for combining the at least two pixel signals to an output signal. The means for combining are operable to combine the at least two pixel signals weighted in dependence on a saturation level of the pixel cell. A method for controlling the circuit for reading out the image sensor is also proposed.

Circuit and method for reading out and resetting pixels of an image sensor

The present invention relates a bidirectional signal transmission apparatus and method, wherein said apparatus comprises a processor unit connected in signal communication with an Ethernet, an RF modulation/demodulation unit, and an RF frequency conversion unit connected in signal communication with a coaxial cable network. The data signal input from the Ethernet is modulated into standard IEEE802.11 signal by means of said signal processing unit and RF modulation/demodulation unit, and then down-converted from 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz standard IEEE802.11 signal to a range of 500 MHz to 2000 MHz, and preferably to a range of 900 MHz to 1200 MHz. The bidirectional transmission apparatus further includes a frequency band selector for selecting different frequency bands so as to broaden the bandwidth of the signal and a real broad band data transmission is accomplished.

Bidirectional signal transmission apparatus and method

An image sensor circuit comprises a pixel cell array having a plurality of pixel cells arranged along a plurality of column lines, a plurality of readout circuits connected to said column lines, each of which comprises an analog-to-digital converter and a multiplexer for selectively applying an output signal of one of said column lines to said analog-to-digital converter. Between two of said column lines which are connected to a first one of said readout circuits located at a first side of said pixel cell array, there is a column line which is connected to a second one of said readout circuits located at a second side of said pixel cell array opposite to said first side.

Image sensor circuit

An image sensor circuit comprises at least one pixel cell for providing an output signal which is variable according to illumination of said pixel cell between a maximum and a minimum level, an analogue-to-digital converter for converting output signals from said pixel cell into digital data, and an offset signal source for providing an offset signal having a level between said maximum and minimum levels. The analogue-to-digital converter is fully differential and is connected to said pixel cell and to said offset signal source.

Image sensor circuit having differential signal path, differential analog-to-digital converter and differential signal offsetting means

A variable-gain RF amplifier arrangement whose input impedance is essentially independent of the selected gain is proposed, which has a large number of selectable elementary amplifiers, with an input signal being scaled and the input impedance being set to be the same by means of switchable current limiting elements upstream of the elementary amplifiers, which are associated with the elementary amplifiers. The circuit also has a low noise level, which is largely independent of the selected gain, and good linearity. A broadcast radio receiver as well as a receiver for receiving data signals using an amplifier according to the invention are also proposed.

Growing community of inventors

Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany

Heinrich Schemmann