A method for indicating a cycle of operation in a laundry treating appliance having a space that includes at least one electrically conductive element disposed in the space and coupled with a controller, the method includes producing in the at least one electrically conductive element the voltage or the current in reaction to the energized e-field apart from the article. Receiving in the controller a signal from the at least one electrically conductive element indicative of a value of a parameter associated with the voltage or the current of the at least one electrically conductive element. And, generating an indication, by the controller, indicative of a cycle of operation and wherein the indication increases or decreases in intensity proportional to the value of the parameter associated with the voltage or the current.

A method for indicating a cycle of operation in a laundry treating appliance having a space that includes at least one electrically conductive element disposed in the space and coupled with a controller, the method includes producing in the at least one electrically conductive element the voltage or the current in reaction to the energized e-field apart from the article. Receiving in the controller a signal from the at least one electrically conductive element indicative of a value of a parameter associated with the voltage or the current of the at least one electrically conductive element. And, generating an indication, by the controller, indicative of a cycle of operation and wherein the indication increases or decreases in intensity proportional to the value of the parameter associated with the voltage or the current.

A multi-stage amplifier circuit includes: a front stage amplification circuit, for generating a front stage amplification signal according to a difference between a primary reference signal and a primary feedback signal; an output adjustment circuit, for generating a driving signal according to the front stage amplification signal; and an output transistor, controlled by the driving signal to generate an output signal. The output adjustment circuit includes: an adjustment transistor biased by a differential current of the front stage amplification signal; and an impedance adjustment device biased by the differential current. A resistance of the impedance adjustment device is determined by a difference between an adjustment feedback signal and an adjustment reference signal. The driving signal is determined by a product of a resistance of the impedance adjustment device multiplied by the differential current of the front stage amplification signal, and a drain-source voltage of the adjustment transistor.

A configuration circuit may be used with a power converter. The configuration circuit dynamically reconfigures one or more connections of output stages of a power converter to vary the output. A capacitive load may receive the output of the power converter.

An integrated circuit includes a clock control circuit coupled to a reference clock signal node and a plurality of circuits including a voltage regulator, a digital circuit, and an analog circuit. The voltage regulator, in operation, supplies a regulated voltage. The clock control circuit, in operation, generates a system clock. Input/output interface circuitry is coupled to the plurality of circuits and a common input/output node. The input/output interface circuitry, in operation, selectively couples one of the plurality of circuits to the common input/output node.

An unmanned vehicle including a vehicle body, a propulsion system, a maneuvering system, a vehicle control system, a buoyancy control system, a sensor system, and at least one power supply is disclosed. The propulsion system, maneuvering system, vehicle control system, buoyancy control system, sensor system, and power supply are carried by the vehicle body. The sensor system includes a sensor adapted to detect an item of interest and provide an item of interest signal to the vehicle control system. The vehicle control system is adapted to receive the item of interest signal, identify an item of interest classification and provide a classification signal. The classification signal is determined by the item of interest classification and is utilized by the propulsion system, maneuvering system, vehicle control system, or buoyancy control system to avoid physical, electrical, acoustic, or thermal detection of the unmanned vehicle by the item of interest.

Exemplary power supply systems and methods according to the present invention include circuitry that is configured to provide DC power and configured to receive a input signal that originates from a portable electronic device (the “PED”) and to provide a output signal to be sent to the PED. Such circuitry is configured to be coupled to the PED via a connector having a first, second, third, and fourth conductor. Such a connector is configured to be detachably mated with a power input interface of the PED to transfer the DC power to the PED, a ground reference to the PED, the input signal from the PED to the circuitry, and, in coordination with the input signal, the output signal from the circuitry to the PED, which is usable by the PED in connection with control of charging a battery of the PED based on the DC power provided by the circuitry.

Exemplary power supply systems and methods according to the present invention include circuitry that is configured to provide DC power and configured to receive a input signal that originates from a portable electronic device (the “PED”) and to provide a output signal to be sent to the PED. Such circuitry is configured to be coupled to the PED via a connector having a first, second, third, and fourth conductor. Such a connector is configured to be detachably mated with a power input interface of the PED to transfer the DC power to the PED, a ground reference to the PED, the input signal from the PED to the circuitry, and, in coordination with the input signal, the output signal from the circuitry to the PED, which is usable by the PED in connection with control of charging a battery of the PED based on the DC power provided by the circuitry.

An apparatus and method are provided for mitigating performance degradation in digital low-dropout voltage regulators (DLDOs) caused by the effects of aging on the power transistors of the DLDO, such as by the effects of negative bias temperature instability (NBTI)-induced aging, for example. The apparatus comprises a shift register for use in a DLDO that is configured to activate and deactivate power transistors of the DLDO to evenly distribute electrical stress among the transistors in a way that mitigates performance degradation of the DLDO under various load current conditions. In addition, the shift register and methodology can be implemented in such a way that nearly no extra power and area overhead are consumed.

Exemplary portable electronic devices include a housing and a power connector interface. The housing has a power input opening and includes a controller, a rechargeable battery, and battery charging circuitry coupled to the rechargeable battery. The power input opening is sized to receive an electrical connector of a cable assembly. The power connector interface includes a power conductor, a ground conductor, and other conductors and is configured to attach to the electrical connector of the cable assembly. At least one of the other conductors is configured to receive a signal, and the controller is responsive to the signal and is configured to control the battery charging circuitry.