955results about "Programmable/customizable/modifiable circuits" patented technology

A fabric, in the form of a woven or knitted fabric or garment, including a flexible information infrastructure integrated within the fabric for collecting, processing, transmitting and receiving information concerning-but not limited to-a wearer of the fabric. The fabric allows a new way to customize information processing devices to "fit" the wearer by selecting and plugging in (or removing) chips/sensors from the fabric thus creating a wearable, mobile information infrastructure that can operate in a stand-alone or networked mode. The fabric can be provided with sensors for monitoring physical aspects of the wearer, for example body vital signs, such as heart rate, EKG, pulse, respiration rate, temperature, voice, and allergic reaction, as well as penetration of the fabric. The fabric consists of a base fabric ("comfort component"), and an information infrastructure component which can consist of a penetration detection component, or an electrical conductive component, or both. The preferred penetration detection component is a sheathed optical fiber. The information infrastructure component can include, in addition to an electrically conductive textile yarn, a sensor or a connector for a sensor. A process is provided for making an electrical interconnection between intersecting electrically conductive yarns. Furthermore, a process is established for sheathing the plastic optical fiber and protecting it.

A method for programming a routing layout design through one via layer includes forming a plurality of metal traces on a first routing layer and a second routing layer, and positioning a plurality of vias within a via layer disposed between the first and second routing layers for connecting the metal traces on the first and second routing layers according to a first current route defined by a predetermined circuit layout design to connect a first node and a second node so as to establish a second current route equivalent to the first current route.

The present invention relates to assisting patients in the taking of medication, and to assisting third parties in accumulating information regarding patient medication intake. The invention may be embodied a system including a portable medication monitor used in association with an instrumented medication package to provide intake data acquisition and patient support functions. The system may further be connected to a computer or computer network allowing information distribution between the medication monitor and third parties, such as physicians or pharmacists.

A system for managing delivery of pharmaceutical drugs is formed of a blister package that includes a plurality of cells arranged in a grid. Each of the cells is sealed by a breakable wall and holds a unit-dose of medication. A user gains access to the medication in a given cell by puncturing the breakable wall associated with the given cell. A severable conductor is positioned proximate to each breakable wall. The severable conductor associated with a given cell ruptures upon puncturing of the breakable wall associated with the given cell. A computer chip is electrically connected to the severable conductors. The computer chip senses the puncturing of each cell in the grid by monitoring the rupturing of each of the severable conductors. An RF transmitter is coupled to the computer chip. The RF transmitter sends information corresponding to usage of each of medications stored in the blister package to a remote information transceiver.

An interconnect structure employs a closed-grid bus to link an integrated circuit tester channel to an array of input/output (I/O) pads on a semiconductor wafer so that the tester channel can concurrently communicate with all of the I/O pads. The interconnect structure includes a circuit board implementing an array of bus nodes, each corresponding to a separate one of the I/O pads. The circuit board includes at least two layers. Traces mounted on a first layer form a set of first daisy-chain buses, each linking all bus nodes of a separate row of the bus node array. Traces mounted on a second circuit board layer form a set of second daisy-chain buses, each linking all bus nodes of a separate column of the bus node array. Vias and other circuit board interconnect ends of the first and second daisy-chain buses so that they form the closed-grid bus. Each bus node is connected though a separate isolation resistor to a separate contact pad mounted on a surface of the circuit board. A set of spring contacts or probes link each contact pad to a separate one of the I/O pads on the wafer.

This specification describes techniques for fabricating connections between pairs of components. Each connection includes an array of bumps on a male component, and a matching array of wells filled with bonding material on a female component. The bump/well connections can be spaced with a pitch of less than 100 microns. One application of the invention is the attachment of electronic components to interconnection circuits or circuit assemblies to form electronic modules. The electronic components may be IC chips or high-density interconnect cables. Another application is alignment of optical components. The direct chip attachment techniques are described in the context of fabrication, assembly, test, rework, and cooling of electronic modules employing flip chip components. The preferred method is to fabricate the module on a glass carrier using a release layer so that the carrier can be removed after most of the processing is done.

A device for invasive use, comprising a support member comprising a flexible material. The support member comprises a layer of a conductive line or pattern thereon. The support member is formed into an elongated tube shape, and the inside of the support member can be sealed from the outside of the support member. An electrically conductive line or pattern extends on the inside of the tube shaped support member, and the support member may comprise a sensing, stimulating and/or processing element. Furthermore, there is described a manufacturing method for the device, a system where the device is a part of the system and the use of the device for invasive use.

To provide a light source assembly that does not use a printed circuit board and can be manufactured at a low cost even when produced in small quantities, a light source assembly according to the present invention comprises a plurality of light sources and a connective conductor structure extending in a direction of arrangement of the light sources to join the light sources, wherein the connective conductor structure is formed by cutting off parts of a substantially plate-like patterned conductor as required, the patterned conductor being provided with a prescribed pattern. Thus, by changing the parts to be cut off in the patterned conductor, it is possible to manufacture light source assemblies having various light source connection patterns in a single manufacturing line, allowing efficient and low cost manufacture of the light source assemblies to be achieved even when the light sources are manufactured in small quantities.

The invention provides transient devices, including active and passive devices that physically, chemically and/or electrically transform upon application of at least one internal and/or external stimulus. Incorporation of degradable device components, degradable substrates and/or degradable encapsulating materials each having a programmable, controllable and/or selectable degradation rate provides a means of transforming the device. In some embodiments, for example, transient devices of the invention combine degradable high performance single crystalline inorganic materials with selectively removable substrates and/or encapsulants.

A memory card including a PCB assembly that is consistent with existing 13-pad MMC mechanical form factors, and a housing that is consistent with the SD mechanical form factor, thereby providing a single PCBA and housing arrangement that can be used to produce both MMC and SD memory cards. The thirteen contact pads support all MMC and SD contact pad patterns, but are modified to facilitate a write protect switch. The housing includes an enlarged window (or windows) that exposes two or more contact pads in each of the multiple rows, thereby facilitating slidable insertion of the memory card into a socket of a host system. Alignment notches are formed in the side edges of the PCB, and/or alignment pins are utilized for properly aligning the PCBA within the housing.

A conductive sheet includes: a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface; and a first electrode pattern placed on the first main surface of the substrate. The first electrode pattern is made of metal thin wires, and includes a plurality of first conductive patterns that extend in a first direction. Each first conductive pattern includes, at least, inside thereof, a sub-nonconduction pattern that is electrically separated from the first conductive pattern. An area A of each first conductive pattern and an area B of each sub-nonconduction patterns satisfy a relation of 5%<B/(A+B)<97%. Accordingly, a conductive sheet and a touch panel having a high detection accuracy can be provided.

An electronic device has a chassis, and a printed wiring board (PWB) having a hole. A fastener is installed in the hole thereby securing the PWB to the chassis. A pair of conductive traces is formed in the PWB. A cap, being an amount of conductive glue, covers a part of the fastener and fills an electrically insulating gap between the two traces, to thereby form a conductive path that connects the two traces. A sensing circuit is coupled to the traces, to detect a change in impedance of the path and signal a tamper event alert. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Methods and systems for selectively connecting and disconnecting conductors in a fabric are disclosed. First and second conductors are integrated into a fabric such that the conductors intersect at a crossover point. The conductors are bonded to each other at the crossover point to improve AC and DC characteristics. Disconnect areas may be provided near the crossover point to allow selective disconnection of the conductors from the crossover point.

A frangible electrical circuit sheet for a dosage form package includes a first plurality of electrically conductive trace subnetworks interconnected with one another to form a network of electrically conductive traces and disposed on the sheet. The sheet further includes a second plurality of circuit elements connected to the network of electrically conductive traces such that each circuit element is associated with one of the subnetworks. At least some of the circuit elements have element values that differ from one another.

An apparatus and method are described for reducing the timing skew on a printed circuit board including a plurality of conductive traces interconnecting a first node and a second node. At least one section is removed from at least one printed circuit board trace to thereby sever a trace and prevent signals passing from the first node to the second node from following the severed trace. In this manner, signal path length can be adjusted to reduce timing skews in the circuit. Sections are removed from the traces by using a laser, CVD, a router, a plasma or by passing sufficient current through weakened areas of the traces.

The present invention provides a light emitting module, comprising: a plurality of thin plate-shaped conductors (2) spaced apart from each other in a first direction; at least one light source (4) connected between at least one pair of adjoining ones of said conductors; and at least one insulating joint member (4) for mechanically joining said plurality of conductors, wherein said at least one insulating joint member exposes both sides of at least a portion of said conductors where said light source is mounted.

Provided is a semiconductor memory module capable of decreasing a parasitic capacitance and a parasitic inductance which are incidental to a signal transmission path, thereby reducing a distortion of a signal waveform. In a memory module, four DRAMs are provided on a muttilayer printed circuit board in one line corresponding to a direction of arrangement of external terminals thereof and board terminal groups of the module are provided to make a pair along two long sides of the multilayer printed circuit board. The DRAM has external terminals extended from one of the long sides and external terminals extended from the other long side. Board terminals and board terminals in the board terminal group of the module are connected to the DRAM, and board terminals and board terminals in the board terminal group TGB of the module are connected to the DRAM.

A digital core embodied within a semiconductor die is situated within any of a variety of integrated circuit packaging technologies including but not limited to Ball Grid Array or Quad Flat Pack surface mount technology. Said semiconductor die is of the variety that requires plural separate power supply voltage domains such as a digital core supply of differing voltage than the input/output pad ring supply voltage. Within the integrated circuit package including said semiconductor die also exists a high efficiency DC-to-DC voltage converter of type commonly known as a chopper or a switch mode power supply. In the preferred embodiment this switch mode power supply would be of the highest efficiency, a synchronous step-down regulator, thus to enable powering the entire integrated circuit from one supply voltage. The components contained within the integrated circuit package along with the semiconductor die include the majority if not the totality of the components comprising the switch mode power supply, which could include the power switching transistors; an inductor core and windings; the output voltage fixing circuitry; the output capacitor; and the substrate for mounting said components when integrated within a packaging technology that does not already include a substrate such as within the periphery of a lead frame for leaded devices.