Microchip Technology Inc.

Etymotic Research, Inc.

Jerrold S Zdenek

Sean Steedman

Vivien Neil Delport

Zacharias Marthinus Smit

Keith Edwin Curtis

Joseph Harry Julicher

John Charais

James (Jim) Simons

Zeke Lundstrum

Kevin L Kilzer

Steve Iseberg

Fanie Duvenhage

James Collins

Ryan Scott Ellison

Eric Schroeder

Mead C Killion

Viorel Drambarean

Timothy Scott Monroe

Andrew J Haapapuro

Richard L Hull

Steve Viranyi

Ruan Lourens

Gail Gudmundsen

Michael Charles

Andrew Dale

Russ Thoma

Kevin Lee Kilzer

Zeke R Lundstrum

Certain embodiments provide a system and method for measurement of the force applied to a bone-conduction oscillator during application to a subject, resolving the measured force relative to a pre-determined criteria, and providing an indication to the user to specify whether an external force applied to an applied force indication system coupled with a bone-conduction oscillator is within a pre-determined acceptable range. A mechanical arrangement is prescribed which allows the full extent of the force applied to be represented onto the pressure measurement apparatus. The system and apparatus may be applied onto or integrated into bone-conduction oscillators.

System and method for providing an applied force indication

An apparatus for selecting a plurality of input signals from a plurality of y signals in a device has a switching matrix with a plurality of n to 1 mulitplexers, wherein each n to 1 multiplexer is assigned to a different input set of n of the y signals wherein a subset of less than n input signals of each set of input signals of each of the n to 1 multiplexers is also a subset of input signals of another n to 1 multiplexer.

Selecting four signals from sixteen inputs

A light emitting diode (LED) is driven with a plurality of pulses having controllable pulse widths and positions within clock time periods that provide for both LED light intensity control and digital information communications from a single output node of an integrated circuit (IC) device. The LED light intensity is determined by the duty cycle of the pulses where the human eye integrates these light pulses from the LED into continuous light intensity levels. The digital information contained in the light output from the LED is detected by a photo-detector that converts the light pulses into electric signals that are demodulated and read by a circuit debugger and/or manufacturing test station. The aforementioned operations allow continuous visual display and data transmission using only one output node of the IC device. This is especially advantageous when using low pin count IC devices.

Constant brightness LED drive communications port

Systems and methods for providing communication and protection by an electronic earplug are provided. A communication and protection system includes an electronic earplug operable in a transmit mode and a receive mode. The electronic earplug includes an external microphone, an ear canal microphone, processing circuitry, and a receiver. In the receive mode, the external microphone is configured to transduce sound pressure levels received from exterior to an ear canal to electrical signals; the processing circuitry is configured to process the electrical signals from the external microphone to provide processed electrical signals; and, the receiver is configured to convert the processed electrical signal to sound. In the transmit mode, the ear canal microphone is configured to transduce sound pressure levels received from in the ear canal to electrical signals provided to a communication device; and, one or more of the external microphone, the processing circuitry, and the receiver is disabled.

Electronic earplug for providing communication and protection

Certain embodiments provide a hearing testing system. The hearing testing system includes a transducer and an environmental sensor coupled with an acoustic channel. The environmental sensor is configured to measure environmental conditions of the acoustic channel. The hearing testing system includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive the environmental conditions from the environmental sensor. The processor is configured to apply, based on the measure environmental conditions, correction data to a transducer response to generate a corrected transducer response. In certain embodiments, the processor is configured to control a heating element based on a measured temperature to maintain a pre-defined temperature, or range of temperatures, at a testing probe.

Hearing testing probe with integrated temperature and humidity sensors and active temperature control

A processor includes a RISC CPU core; and a plurality of peripherals including one or more configurable logic cell peripherals. The configurable logic cell peripheral may be configured to allow real-time software access to internal configuration and signals paths of the processor. The configurable logic cell peripheral may have real-time configuration control.

Configurable logic cells

A microcontroller device has a central processing unit (CPU); a data memory coupled with the CPU divided into a plurality of memory banks, a plurality of special function registers and general purpose registers which may be memory-mapped, wherein at least the following special function registers are memory-mapped to all memory banks: a status register, a bank select register, a plurality of indirect memory address registers, a working register, and a program counter high latch; and wherein upon occurrence of a context switch, the CPU is operable to automatically save the content of the status register, the bank select register, the plurality of indirect memory address registers, the working register, and the program counter high latch, and upon return from the context switch restores the content of the status register, the bank select register, the plurality of indirect memory address registers, the working register, and the program counter high latch.

Context switching with automatic saving of special function registers memory-mapped to all banks

An integrated circuit device has a modulator module that provides a modulation signal comprising one frequency keyed on and off, or alternating between two or more different frequencies or phases that are selected based upon a modulator signal. The one or more frequencies or phases may be selected from a plurality of frequency sources. Switching the one frequency on or off, or between the at least two different frequencies or phases may be synchronized with one or both of the two or more different frequencies or phases so that 'glitches' or spurs are not introduced into the modulation signal. The integrated circuit device may also comprise a processor, memory, digital logic and input-output. Frequency sources may be internal to the digital device or external. The modulator signal may comprise serial data generated from the digital logic and/or processor of the digital device.

Modulator module in an integrated circuit device

Activation of an external sensor coupled to an electronic device will change the frequency of a low power oscillator in the electronic device that runs during a low power sleep mode of the electronic device. When a change in frequency of the low power oscillator is detected, the electronic device will wake-up from the low power sleep mode. In addition, when a change in frequency from an external frequency source is detected, the electronic device will wake-up from the low power sleep mode.

Interrupt/wake-up of an electronic device in a low power sleep mode when detecting a sensor or frequency source activated frequency change

A processor device has a data memory with a linear address space, the data memory being accessible through a plurality of memory banks. At least a subset of the memory banks are organized such that each memory bank of the subset has at least a first and second memory area, wherein no consecutive memory block is formed by the second memory areas of a plurality of consecutive memory banks. An address adjustment unit is provided which, when a predefined address range is used, translates an address within the predefined address range to access said second memory areas such that through the address a plurality of second memory areas form a continuous linear memory block.

Enhanced microprocessor or microcontroller

An n-bit microprocessor device has an n-bit central processing unit (CPU); a plurality of special function registers and general purpose registers which are memory-mapped to a plurality of banks, with at least two 16-bit indirect memory address registers which are accessible by the CPU across all banks; a bank access unit for coupling the CPU with one of the plurality of banks; a data memory coupled with the CPU; and a program memory coupled with the CPU, wherein the indirect address registers are operable to access the data memory or program memory and wherein a bit in each of the indirect memory address registers indicates an access to the data memory or to the program memory.

An integrated circuit device provides a choice of external pins (connections) that may be user selectable for coupling an external filter/stabilization capacitor to an internal voltage regulator. However, connecting the output of a internal voltage regulator to an uncharged external filter/stabilization capacitor (or to a capacitor charged to a different voltage level than the internal regulation voltage) through a low impedance path can cause the regulator output voltage to sag/spike if the internal voltage regulator tries to charge/discharge the capacitor up/down to equilibrium with the regulator output voltage. To minimize this potential sag/spike, the voltage on the external filter/stabilization capacitor may be adjusted in a controlled manner to substantially the same voltage as the voltage on the output of the internal voltage regulator, and then the internal voltage regulator is operationally coupled through a low impedance to the external regulator filter/stabilization capacitor.

Connection of an internal regulator to an external filter/stabilization capacitor through a selectable external connection and prevention of a current surge therebetween

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Maricopa, AZ, United States of America

Jerrold S Zdenek