Knowles Electronics, Inc.

Other

Accenture Global Services Gmbh

Knowles Ipc (m) Sdn. Bhd.

Michael Jennings

Dean A Badillo

Craig Stein

Sunil Raina

Avishek Somani

Dean Badillo

A sensor assembly including a capacitive sensor, like a microelectromechanical (MEMS) microphone, and an electrical circuit therefor are disclosed. The electrical circuit includes a first transistor having an input gate connectable to the capacitive sensor, a second transistor having an input gate coupled to an output of the first transistor, a feedforward circuit interconnecting a back-gate of the second transistor and the output of the first transistor, and a filter circuit interconnecting the output of the first transistor and the input gate of the second transistor.

Capacitive sensor assemblies and electrical circuits therefor

A device may perform a first authentication operation, associated with a contactless media device, using a first key. The first key may permit a security mode of the contactless media device to be modified. The device may cause the contactless media device to set the security mode to a first security mode that causes the contactless media device to secure at least one transmission from the contactless media device. The device may perform a second authentication operation, associated with the contactless media device, using a second key that permits information to be read from or written to the contactless media device. The device may read first secured information from or write second secured information to the contactless media device. The first secured information or the second secured information may be secured based on the security mode of the contactless media device being set to the first security mode.

Facilitating secure transactions using a contactless interface

A microphone circuit having an amplifier with an input operably coupled to a microphone motor also includes a low pass filter operably coupled to the output of the amplifier and a positive feedback network that operably couples to an output of the low-pass filter and to the amplifier input. For many useful application settings the aforementioned amplifier has unity gain while the positive feedback network has a fractional gain less than unity.

Method and apparatus to increase audio band microphone sensitivity

A MOSFET active-disable switch is configured to clip an incoming signal in opposing directions when in an off state. By one approach the clipping is symmetrical and accordingly the switch clips both positive and negative peaks of the incoming signal. In many application settings it is useful for the clipping to serve to decrease a predetermined kind of resultant distortion such as even order distortion. In the on state this MOSFET active-disable switch is configured to not clip the incoming signal in opposing directions.

Method and apparatus to clip incoming signals in opposing directions when in an off state

A direct current (DC) bias maintenance circuit operably couples to the input of a primary amplifier. The DC bias maintenance circuit employs feedback to maintain the desired DC bias but lacks any coupling to the output of the primary amplifier. By one approach the DC bias maintenance circuit includes a secondary amplifier that replicates at least some near real-time performance characteristics of the primary amplifier. For example, the secondary amplifier can replicate at least certain DC properties of the primary amplifier such that DC-based changes appearing at the output of the primary amplifier are mirrored at an output of the secondary amplifier notwithstanding a lack of any coupling between the output of the primary amplifier and the DC bias maintenance circuit.

Method and apparatus for maintaining DC bias

A single-stage buffer apparatus includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a high pass filter network. The first transistor is configured to receive an input signal from a microphone. The second transistor is configured to operate as a cascode transistor. The high pass filter network is coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor. The second transistor electrically decouples the first transistor from an output of the single-stage buffer apparatus. A gate terminal of the second transistor is driven by the high-pass filter network, and the high-pass filter network is driven by the first transistor.

Single stage buffer with filter

A buffer is coupled to an acoustic motor. The buffer has an input and an output. The input has an input voltage and the output has an output voltage. The buffer is coupled to a load. The buffer includes an input transistor and push-pull transistor circuitry. The input transistor has a gate, a source, and a drain, a gate-to-source capacitance, and an area. The push-pull transistor circuitry is coupled to the input transistor. Under a first set of operating conditions, the gate to source voltage of the input transistor remains constant and the output voltage is a buffered copy of the input voltage. Under a second set of operating conditions, the push-pull transistor circuitry selectively sinks or sources additional current to the load so that linearity of buffer operation is provided. A gate-to-drain capacitance of the input transistor is buffered allowing the area of the input transistor to be increased without reducing the gain of the motor.

Push-pull microphone buffer

A miniature electret microphone includes a housing, a back plate/diaphragm assembly, an integrated circuit and a filter circuit. The housing for the microphone includes a sound inlet port. The back plate/diaphragm assembly is disposed within the housing and the assembly has an output responsive to sound pressure incident on the diaphragm. The integrated circuit includes a floating ground substrate and a p-n junction disposed within the housing coupled to the output. The filter circuit is formed within the integrated circuit, the filter circuit including a capacitor formed by the p-n junction.

Filter circuit for an electret microphone

A miniature electret microphone includes an input buffer circuit. The input buffer circuit includes an integrated circuit including a floating ground substrate and a p-n junction. The p-n junction is coupled as a capacitor to a filter circuit of the input buffer circuit.

An electrical locking socket and multiple position swivel plug in which the socket has gripping members for holding the blades of a plug inserted into the socket, and the swivel plug is pivotally connected to the socket and latched at a desired angular position relative to the socket. These features prevent the inadvertent separation of socket and plug assemblies.

Electrical locking socket and multiple position swivel plug

A multiple position electrical swivel plug apparatus wherein a housing is integrally connected to the end of an electrical cord the conductor of which terminates in a plurality of blades. A male or female plug assembly is detachably connected to the blades depending upon the particular plug assembly desired. The blades are mounted in the housing which is bifurcated so that the blades extend outwardly from the housing between the arms of the housing. The plug assembly has a nose portion extending between the arms of the housing, and the nose portion is slotted for receiving the blades to electrically connect the plug assembly contacts to the blades. A pivotal connection is provided between the arms of the housing and nose portion of the plug assembly for adjusting and maintaining the plug assembly at a desired angle position relative to the housing.

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Plano, TX, United States of America

Michael Jennings