A method, system and an interactive device for interaction with the electric field of touch-sensitive electronic display of a computing device is provided. The interactive device includes a housing for positioning on the top of the touch-sensitive electronic display, a first electrode determines the touch position, an energy harvester for receiving the electrical energy and transforming the received electrical energy into a DC voltage, a controller generates a serial identification number for identifying the housing through the touch-sensitive electronic display of the computer, an electronic switch transmitting the serial identification number, a second electrode forms a close electrical circuit from the electric field generated by the touch-sensitive electronic display to operate the energy harvester, the controller and the electronic switch; and a third electrode for receiving the serial identification number and the processor of the computer determines the distance and angle in between the first electrode and the third electrode.

A method and gaming machine for playing a game with area and numerical winning thresholds. The method and machine present a plurality of distinct elements which are grouped into a plurality of subsets whereby a player can select both a sub-plurality of elements and at least one subset. A set of random elements is selected from the set of elements which also determines at least one random subset. The set of random elements is compared to the sub-plurality of player selected elements and the player selected subset to the random subset. A player is rewarded if the set of random elements and the set of player selected elements have a pre-determined minimum number of common elements and/or if the plurality of player selected subsets and the plurality of random subsets have a second, pre-determined minimum number of common subsets.

A training device for installation in a practice area is provided, the training device providing an indication to a user as to where on a first surface of the training device a football should be aimed. The first surface is configured to allow the ball to pass through the first surface, where it is collected and returned to the user. The training device is also configured to indicate to the user approximately where in the practice area the football will be returned to, so as to allow the user to position themselves accordingly.

A connector-equipped communication module includes a communication module and a connector. The communication module includes a wiring board including antenna-mounted and IC-mounted regions at different positions in a planar view, an antenna element mounted in the antenna-mounted region, a wireless IC and a mounted component mounted in the IC-mounted region, and side terminals in the IC-mounted region and peripheral portions near the IC-mounted region. The connector includes a receiving portion including a placement portion configured to mount the communication module and a wall portion extending around the placement portion, inner wall terminals on an inner side of the wall portion at positions facing the side terminals, and external terminals located outward of the receiving portion and electrically connected to the inner wall terminals. In a state where the communication module is received in the receiving portion, the inner wall and side terminals are fitted so as to contact with each other.

A graphic may include a consumable and having optically encoded information.

Systems, methods, and devices for providing and managing electronic event tickets are provided. For example, a device for managing an electronic event ticket may include a processor configured to run an electronic ticket management application, a memory device configured to store data associated with the electronic ticket management application, an electronic display configured to display at least a portion of the data associated with the electronic ticket management application, and an input/output interface configured to receive an electronic ticket and the data associated with the electronic ticket for management by the electronic ticket management application. The electronic ticket management application may be configured to enable the electronic device to gain entry to an event and to obtain at least one other event-related benefit after the electronic ticket is received by the input/output interface.

Apparatuses, methods, and systems pertaining to the verification of portable consumer devices are disclosed. In one implementation, a verification token is coupled to a computer by a USB connection so as to use the computer's networking facilities. The verification token reads identification information from a user's portable consumer device (e.g., credit card) and sends the information to a validation entry over a communications network using the computer's networking facilities. The validation entity applies one or more validation tests to the information that it receives from the verification token. If a selected number of tests are passed, the validation entity sends a device verification value to the verification token, and optionally to a payment processing network. The verification token may enter the device verification value into a CVV field of a web page appearing on the computer's display, or may display the value to the user using the computer's display.

A mobile device utilizes an embedded near field communication (NFC) capability to interact with a contactless transaction card to automatically obtain information from the card, e.g. reducing or eliminating the burden of manual user entry of the account information or the like into the mobile device. The mobile device, for a financial account transaction example, may read the information from the card at the time of a transaction, e.g. to facilitate an on-line purchase, an in-store purchase, ATM transaction or the like. The mobile device may store the information from one or more contactless transaction cards, for use in future transactions of various types. The mobile device and/or a server in communication with the mobile device may track various user activities on the mobile device that also utilize information obtained from the contactless transaction card.

Communication between a retailer and a customer is disclosed. A payment card and a communication identifier addressing a wireless transceiver of a mobile apparatus are registered to an electronic service. The mobile apparatus receives, with the wireless transceiver, a plurality of packets relating to payments with the payment card of a plurality of trades of various commodities between the user and a plurality of various retailers, from the electronic service, extracts from the received plurality of the packets transaction information relating to the payments and supplementary information, and communicates, with a user interface, the extracted transaction information and the supplementary information to the user.

A ticket reading system comprising a portable head section with an aperture and means for removably affixing the head section to a stationary fixture; in the head section, a camera with a field of view over the aperture to read visible code elements of a ticket; an RFID antenna and module adjacent to the aperture to read RFID/NFC code elements from a device or tag; a wireless network communication module to communicate data packets among a processor and a wireless network access point; means for ticket validation feedback; instructions which cause: receiving a ticket identifier value from the camera or RFID module; sending a request via the wireless network for a server computer to validate the ticket identifier value; receiving a ticket validation response from the server computer; based upon the response, driving the means for providing ticket validation feedback to generate either valid response feedback or invalid response feedback.

A system and approach for conveying engineering and license data with a handheld or mobile device via a multi-dimensional code. Engineering data from a page such as a schematic may be generated, formatted, and encoded with a multi-dimensional code. The code in a visual presentation may be embedded in the schematic. A mobile device may scan the code. The device with an appropriate application may decode and un-format the engineering data from the code for a consumer or user. License data may be generated, encrypted, and encoded in a multi-dimensional code. The code in a visual presentation may be scanned and decrypted by the mobile device with an appropriate application, for a consumer or user.

The present invention relates to a security device for improving the marketing impact of an article of commerce. The device generally includes a housing having a base and a cover with the cover having at least one opening to allow for the insertion of an attachment mechanism. The housing element of the present invention in one embodiment is in a shape representing a particular theme such as a particular trademark, trade dress, special events, commemorative events, historical events and combinations thereof. The housing may contain an RFID device and/or an electronic article security device. The present invention also provides a method of attaching a security device described herein to an article of commerce.

An embodiment of an apparatus for determining the attitude angles of a weapon includes a number of accelerometers for measuring the components of the acceleration of the weapon along the axes of a first reference system integral with weapon; a number of gyroscopes configured in such a way to measure the components of the angular speed of the weapon along the axes of the reference body; and a processing unit configured to compute a number of actual attitude angles of the weapon under dynamic conditions based on the components of the angular speed; determine a number of static attitude angles of the weapon under static conditions of the weapon based on the components of the acceleration; and correct the components of angular speed according to static attitude angles and to the actual attitude angles.

An optical device includes a housing containing a plurality of lenses. At least one of those lenses includes a reticle. An optical device and a processor are also located in the housing. A wind speed sensor is mounted to the housing and configured to send a wind speed signal corresponding to a wind speed to the processor. The processor calculates a wind speed based at least in part on the wind speed signal, and wherein the processor sends an output signal corresponding to the calculated wind speed to the output device.

An electronic device comprises a socket having a plurality of connection terminals that accommodates a card-type external device having a corner cut-out portion, a plurality of contact pads exposed on a surface of the card-type external device that are correspondingly connected to the connection terminals in response to insertion of the card-type external device into the socket. A detection unit detects erroneous insertion of the card-type external device into the socket in response to incorrect location of the cut-out portion during the erroneous insertion. A processor outputs a control signal in response to the detected erroneous insertion of the card-type external device.

A reader for a card having an information strip, the reader comprising a first movable member, a read head capable of reading the information strip, the read head disposed on the first movable member and a second movable member which upon translation causes the first movable member to translate in a direction opposite to the second movable member. The reader includes a guide slot disposed in line with the direction of translation of the second movable element such that when a card is placed in the guide slot and subsequently moved transversely along the guide slot, the card urges the first movable member in the opposite direction and moving the head across the information strip as the information strip is moved in the opposite direction as the read head movement.

An improved document scanning device and a scanning method for checking the transparency and thickness of an identification document. In a preferred embodiment, any one surface of the document is illuminated by the illumination source facing the said surface and the opposite surface of the document is captured by the camera. The amount of light that passes through the illuminated surface of the document is measured and contrasted with the amount of light that passes through the same surface of a reference or original document. The scanning method is also capable of validating an identification document by detecting and authenticating any laser image imprinted on such document.

A system and method for transmitting visual data by displaying a synchronization video that includes synchronization code sequences on a first device, capturing the synchronization video using a video camera of a second device, parsing and decoding the synchronization code sequences on the second device, displaying an indication of which of the synchronization code sequences are compatible for visual data transmission on the second device, receiving a selected synchronization code sequence of the synchronization code sequences on the first device, and displaying a data code sequence corresponding to the selected synchronization code sequence on the first device, wherein the data code sequence includes encoded data, and capturing and decoding the data code sequence on the second device.

A method includes generating a machine readable code using each ink color implemented at a printer, printing the machine readable code on a first side of the medium, analyzing the machine readable code printed on the first side of the medium at a verification unit and detecting a side mismatch if the verification unit does not verify the machine readable code printed on the first side of the medium.

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates servicing a portion of a trade card via a web service. A web service can provide a portion of data to enhance a trade card, wherein the portion of data is at least one of a portion of trade card document-specific data, an intelligent gadget, or a feed driven component. A build component can leverage the web service to utilize the portion of data with the trade card.

A method for manufacture of an electronic interface card (100) including defining a pair of apertures in a substrate layer (116), associating an antenna (112) with the substrate layer (116) such that opposite ends of the antenna (112) terminate at the apertures, placing a metal element in each of the apertures, connecting the ends of the antenna to the metal elements, laminating the substrate layer together with a top layer (114) and a bottom layer (118), forming a recess (122) in the top layer and the substrate layer, attaching end of connection wires (130) to the metal elements, attaching opposite ends of the connection wires (130) to a chip module (120) and sealing the chip module in the recess (122).

Reference equipment including a reference card and a reference reader is provided for testing electronic payment devices such as cards and card readers. The reference equipment includes reference cards and reference readers that respectively can be used to verify compliance of product cards and product readers with product specifications The product specifications may, for example, be the ISO 14443 Standard specifications which are commonly accepted in the electronic payment industry The reference equipment is designed to enhance interoperability of product payment devices whose functional behaviors may vary because of vendor customization of device specifications or due to manufacturing tolerances In some embodiments, the reference equipment includes a reference card for testing card readers The exemplary reference card can comprise a current mirror to permit an electronically adjustable variable load using an external controller The reference card electronic circuit can exhibit variable load conditions.

An RFID tag or label or device includes an RFID chip and an antenna. The antenna is manufactured by weakening a portion of a foil material, which weakened portion may be in a tessellating pattern. The foil material is then placed in contact with adhesive on a substrate. The foil material and substrate are separated, so as to retain on the substrate the portion of the foil material in contact with the adhesive. The foil material remaining on the substrate defines an antenna, which may subsequently be electrically connected to an RFID chip to provide an RFID tag or label or device.

A portable radio-frequency identifier (RFID) reading terminal can comprise a microprocessor, a memory, an RFID reading device, and a display. The portable RFID reading terminal can be configured to display a scan trace provided by a line comprising a plurality of time varying points. Each point can be defined by a projection of a radio frequency (RF) signal coverage shape of the RFID reading device onto a chosen plane at a given moment in time.

An assembly includes a transaction product and an auxiliary vehicle. The transaction product includes a folded sheet configured to be repeatedly folded and unfolded between a collapsed position and an extended position. The folded sheet defines a substantially planar surface defining a printed track. The transaction product comprises an account identifier statically connected thereto. The account identifier links the transaction product to at least one of an account and a record and is machine readable by a point-of-sale terminal. The auxiliary vehicle includes a microcontroller, one or more sensors, a motor, and at least one movable component. The microcontroller actuates the motor to induce movement of the at least one movable component propelling the auxiliary vehicle along and following the printed track based on detection of a location of the printed track as determined by the one or more sensors.

A negotiable instrument such as a check includes a unique microprint identifier that allows for authentication while preventing unauthorized reproduction and alternation. A printing system generates the identifier after receiving a customer order for printing a plurality of negotiable instruments, to allow inclusion of information that is specific to the customer order and/or the printing process. In various embodiments, the identifier is unique to each or each subset of the plurality of negotiable instruments and facilitates authentication of each of the negotiable instruments when needed.

An electronic transaction verification system for use with transaction tokens such as checks, credit cards, debit cards, and smart cards that gathers and transmits information about the transaction token and biometric data. Customers can be enrolled in the system by receiving customer information that includes at least a biometric datum, associating the received customer information with a transaction instrument issued to the customers and storing the received customer information and the issued transaction instrument information in a database for future reference.

An illuminating, indicia-reading device includes a hand-held indicia reader and a charging-and-communication base. The charging-and-communication base's communication button places the hand-held indicia reader in presentation mode when the hand-held indicia reader is seated in the charging-and-communication base, thereby facilitating hands-free scanning and providing work lamp functionality via activation of the hand-held indicia reader's light source. When the hand-held indicia reader is not seated, the communication button pages the hand-held-indicia reader.

A booster circuit is configured, such that: in response to a reading request for reading data from a flash memory, when a voltage of an output terminal detected by a voltage detection circuit is not higher than a voltage, an oscillator outputs a control clock signal of predetermined on time and off time to a transistor of a boost converter to perform switching control of the transistor; and when the voltage detection circuit detects that the voltage of the output terminal reaches a voltage, an oscillator outputs a control clock signal of an on time and an off time input from a selection circuit to a transistor of a boost converter to perform switching control of the transistor.

A reference voltage generating circuit has more than two first wells each having a first impurity concentration and more than two second wells each having a second impurity concentration different from the first impurity concentration. A first group of MOS transistors has more than two MOS transistors formed in respective ones of the first wells. A second group of MOS transistors has More than two MOS transistors formed in respective ones of the second wells.

A method for operating a brushless electric motor, the windings being energized by an inverter with the aid of six switches. A detection unit for detecting defective switches, a unit for measuring voltage at the outputs of the inverter, and a microcontroller for controlling the switch and for generating a pulse width modulated voltage supply for the windings are provided. A short-circuited switch causes a torque in the electric motor opposite the actuating direction of the electric motor. The method proposes that after detecting a short-circuited switch, the windings (U. V. W) are energized to generate a motor torque that is, on the whole, positive. An actuating period of the electric motor is divided into a plurality of sectors, wherein, in accordance with the defective switch, individual sectors are deactivated for the actuation of the windings (U, V, W), while other sectors are used to actuate the windings (V, W).

The present disclosure provides methods and devices for testing a connection between speakers and a power amplifier. The disclosed methods and devices solve a problem that, upon a connection test for a power amplifier which has a booster power source, when a midpoint potential of the power amplifier and the voltage of the speaker connection terminal are compared, and it is determined that short-circuiting occurs on a ground side when the potential of the speaker connection terminal is lower than the midpoint potential, a wrong test is conducted if a midpoint potential is higher than a battery voltage.

A control device for influencing a flow of energy in a load circuit between an electrical voltage source and an electrical load, having a semiconductor switch including a conductive section which is formed between an input connection and an output connection, can be looped into the load circuit, and has an electrical resistance adjustable by means of an electrical potential which can be applied to a control connection associated with the semiconductor switch, and having a control circuit which is coupled to the control connection and includes a freewheeling means connected in parallel to the load. The control circuit is designed to supply a control current at the control connection which is proportional to a voltage via the freewheeling means.

An electronic component comprising a half bridge adapted for operation with an electrical load having an operating frequency is described. The half bridge comprises a first switch and a second switch each having a switching frequency, the first switch and the second switch each including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first switch and the second terminal of the second switch are both electrically connected to a node. The electronic component further includes a filter having a 3 dB roll-off frequency, the 3 dB roll-off frequency being less than the switching frequency of the switches but greater than the operating frequency of the electrical load. The first terminal of the filter is electrically coupled to the node, and the 3 dB roll-off frequency of the filter is greater than 5 kHz.

To reduce power supply noises occurring in a control circuit unit for controlling an output buffer. A semiconductor device includes unit buffers for driving a data output terminal, impedance control circuits for controlling the unit buffers, and a control circuit unit for controlling the impedance control circuits. The impedance control circuits and the control circuit unit operate by mutually-different power supplies, the control circuit unit supplies pull-up data and pull-down data in mutually reverse phase to the impedance control circuits, and the impedance control circuits convert the pull-up data and the pull-down data from reverse phase to in-phase and supply the same to the unit buffers. Thereby, a noise is difficult to occur in a power supply VDD used for the control circuit unit.

A switching device driving apparatus for preventing arm short circuit is provided, including: a first switching device driving unit for receiving a control signal for controlling a first switching device and a second switching device so that they will not turn ON at the same time and outputting an ON/OFF drive signal to the first switching device; and a second switching device driving unit for receiving the control signal and outputting an ON/OFF drive signal to the second switching device, in which the first switching device driving unit outputs a drive signal for increasing the delay of the ON timing of the first switching device with respect to the OFF timing of the second switching device with increase in ambient temperature.

A semiconductor device including an integrator circuit, in which electric discharge from a capacitor can be reduced to shorten time required for charging the capacitor in the case where supply of power supply voltage is stopped and restarted, and a method for driving the semiconductor device are provided. One embodiment has a structure in which a transistor with small off-state current is electrically connected in series to a capacitor in an integrator circuit. Further, in one embodiment of the present invention, a transistor with small off-state current is electrically connected in series to a capacitor in an integrator circuit; the transistor is on in a period during which power supply voltage is supplied; and the transistor is off in a period during which supply of the power supply voltage is stopped.

A digital phase locked loop (DPLL), a method of operating the same, and a device including the same are provided. The DPLL includes a digitally-controlled oscillator configured to change a frequency and a phase of an output oscillation signal in response to a digital control code; a main divider configured to divide the frequency of the output oscillation signal and generate a first feedback signal based on the divided frequency; and a phase-to-digital converter configured to subdivide the phase of the output oscillation signal and to generate a quantized code by converting a phase difference between a reference signal and the first feedback signal using a phase-subdivided signal resulting from the subdivision. The digital control code is generated based on the quantized code.

Flip-flops in a monolithic three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC)(3DIC) and related method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a single clock source is provided for the 3DIC and distributed to elements within the 3DIC. Delay is provided to clock paths by selectively controllable flip-flops to help provide synchronous operation. In certain embodiments, 3D flip-flop are provided that include a master latch disposed in a first tier of a 3DIC. The master latch is configured to receive a flip-flop input and a clock input, the master latch configured to provide a master latch output. The 3D flip-flop also includes at least one slave latch disposed in at least one additional tier of the 3DIC, the at least one slave latch configured to provide a 3DIC flip-flop output. The 3D flip-flop also includes at least one monolithic intertier via (MIV) coupling the master latch output to an input of the slave latch.

A semiconductor storage device which stops and resumes the supply of power supply voltage without the necessity of saving and returning a data signal between a volatile storage device and a nonvolatile storage device is provided. In the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device, the volatile storage device and the nonvolatile storage device are provided without separation. Specifically, in the semiconductor storage device, data is held in a data holding portion connected to a transistor including a semiconductor layer containing an oxide semiconductor and a capacitor. The potential of the data held in the data holding portion is controlled by a data potential holding circuit and a data potential control circuit. The data potential holding circuit can output data without leaking electric charge, and the data potential control circuit can control the potential of the data held in the data holding portion without leaking electric charge by capacitive coupling through the capacitor.

Two gate drivers each comprising a shift register and a demultiplexer including single conductivity type transistors are provided on left and right sides of a pixel portion. Gate lines are alternately connected to the left-side and right-side gate drivers in every M rows. The shift register includes k first unit circuits connected in cascade. The demultiplexer includes k second unit circuits to each of which a signal is input from the first unit circuit and to each of which M gate lines are connected. The second unit circuit selects one or more wirings which output an input signal from the first unit circuit among M gate lines, and outputs the signal from the first unit circuit to the selected wiring(s). Since gate signals can be output from an output of a one-stage shift register to the M gate lines, the width of the shift register can be narrowed.

A semiconductor device prevents recognition failure in mutual recognition between a host and a device compliant with USB Specifications. The semiconductor device includes: an interterminal opening/closing section having a plurality of first conductivity type MOS transistors, the respective sources or drains of which are cascaded, in which the source or drain of a first-stage MOS transistor among the cascaded MOS transistors is used as a first terminal, the source or drain of a final-stage MOS transistor among the cascaded MOS transistors is used as a second terminal, and the respective gates of the cascaded MOS transistors receive a control signal for controlling the opening or short-circuiting between the first and second terminals; and a current bypass section that reduces a current flowing into either one connection node coupling the respective sources or drains of the cascaded MOS transistors.

A transistor being one of an IGBT and a MOSFET and arranged near a gate control circuit applies a gate control signal from the gate control circuit to the gate of a transistor arranged far from the gate control circuit. A gate control signal is applied via a resistive element to the transistor arranged near the gate control circuit.

Operation of a charge pump is controlled to optimize power conversion efficiency by using an adiabatic mode with some operating characteristics and a non-adiabatic mode with other characteristics. The control is implemented by controlling a configurable circuit at the output of the charge pump.

A power management device of a touchable control system includes a boost circuit, a storage circuit, a detection circuit and a loading circuit. The boost circuit has an output terminal and generates an output voltage. The storage circuit electrically connects to the output terminal of the boost circuit and stores the output voltage. The detection circuit electrically connects to the storage circuit so as to detect the output voltage. The loading circuit electrically connects or disconnects to the output terminal of the boost circuit according to a predetermined value of the output voltage.

A semiconductor structure including a device configured to receive an input data-word. The device including a logic structure configured to generate an encrypted data-word by encrypting the input data-word through an encrypting operation. The device further including an eFuse storage device configured to store the encrypted data-word as eFuse data by blowing fuses in accordance with the encrypted data-word.

A semiconductor apparatus is provided herein for reducing power when transmitting data between a first device and a second device in the semiconductor apparatus. Additional circuitry is added to the semiconductor apparatus to create a communication system that decreases a number of state changes for each signal line of a data bus between the first device and the second device for all communications. The additional circuitry includes a decoder coupled to receive and convert a value from the first device for transmission over the data bus to an encoder that provides a recovered (i.e., re-encoded) version of the value to the second device. One or more multiplexers may also be included in the additional circuitry to support any number of devices.

A sand dispensing device designed to be carried in the trunk of a vehicle includes a housing having a partition forming two interior compartments. A supply of sand is stored in a first compartment and an electric air compressor is situated in a second compartment. A remote switch is operatively connected to a relay in the second compartment for energizing the compressor. An induction nozzle has a sand inlet extending through an aperture in the partition into the first compartment and is connected to an air supply tube connected to an output of the air compressor. An outlet tube in the second compartment has a first end connection to an outlet of the induction nozzle and a second end extending through a side wall of the housing. A pair of discharge tubes are connected by a quick release fitting to a second end of the outlet tube and a pair of discharge nozzles are provided on the discharge tubes for spraying a sand and air mixture adjacent drive wheels of the vehicle, to enhance traction on icy road surfaces. The device is conveniently removable from the vehicle trunk for replenishing the sand supply or for transferring between vehicles.

An apparatus including a container directing a sand mixture through a plurality of conduits, a conduit associated with each drive wheel of an automobile through an intermediate valve body operatively opened by a cable mechanism. The organization is typically mounted within an engine compartment of an automobile. Further, the organization utilizes a nozzle head mounted at a terminal end of each conduit adjacent each wheel, with each nozzle head utilizing an apertured dispersion plate, wherein each aperture is selectively closed to define a selective width of path of sand directed adjacent each drive wheel of the automobile.

This invention relates to a vehicle comprising an antihydroplaning system, particularly for improving the wheel adhesion despite the presence of a sheet of water on the road. Output signals from sensors for detecting body and chassis vibrations, ambient temperature and other parameters are analyzed to determine when hydroplaning is occurring or about to occur, and to activate antihydroplaning measures.