A control device according to the present invention is provided with (A) a variable capacitance device including a variable capacitance element, and (B) a control unit configured to apply a control voltage with a first polarity to the variable capacitance device during a third period including a first period to perform communication using the variable capacitance device and a second period not to perform communication before the first period, and configured to apply a control voltage with a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to the variable capacitance device during a sixth period including a fourth period to perform communication and a fifth period not to perform communication before the fourth period.

The present invention relates to nonlinear signal processing, and, in particular, to adaptive nonlinear filtering of real-, complex-, and vector-valued signals utilizing analog Nonlinear Differential Limiters (NDLs), and to adaptive real-time signal conditioning, processing, analysis, quantification, comparison, and control. More generally, this invention relates to methods, processes and apparatus for real-time measuring and analysis of variables, and to generic measurement systems and processes. This invention also relates to methods and corresponding apparatus for measuring which extend to different applications and provide results other than instantaneous values of variables. The invention further relates to post-processing analysis of measured variables and to statistical analysis. The NDL-based filtering method and apparatus enable improvements in the overall properties of electronic devices including, but not limited to, improvements in performance, reduction in size, weight, cost, and power consumption, and, in particular for wireless devices, NDLs enable improvements in spectrum usage efficiency.

A device includes a controller and an adaptive continuous-time filter that includes a control input and a first array of elements. The controller generates a digital word responsive to a time constant and compares a select bit of the digital word to a corresponding reference word to generate a control bit. The controller includes a duplicate array of elements, and applies the control bit to an adjustable element of the duplicate array of elements to modify the time constant. The controller provides the output word to the control input of the adaptive continuous-time filter to generate a filter response that accounts for effects of semiconductor process variation in the first array of elements.

A resonator and resonator method are provided. The resonator includes an inductor, a capacitor, and a switch configured to maintain energy in at least one of the inductor and the capacitor for a select period of time and to enable variability of energy in the at least one of the inductor and the capacitor for another period of time, to set a resonating frequency of the inductor and the capacitor.

A phase shifter, which carries out a ninety-degree phase shift of a sinusoidal input signal having an input frequency, at the same input frequency, envisages: a continuous-time all-pass filter stage, which receives the sinusoidal input signal and generates an output signal phase-shifted by 90 at a phase-shift frequency that is a function of a RC time constant of the all-pass filter stage; and a calibration stage, which is coupled to the all-pass filter stage and generates a calibration signal for the all-pass filter stage, such that the phase-shift frequency is equal to the input frequency of the sinusoidal input signal, irrespective of variations of the value of the input frequency and/or of the RC time constant with respect to a nominal value.

The present invention relates to nonlinear signal processing, and, in particular, to adaptive nonlinear filtering of real-, complex-, and vector-valued signals utilizing analog Nonlinear Differential Limiters (NDLs), and to adaptive real-time signal conditioning, processing, analysis, quantification, comparison, and control. More generally, this invention relates to methods, processes and apparatus for real-time measuring and analysis of variables, and to generic measurement systems and processes. This invention also relates to methods and corresponding apparatus for measuring which extend to different applications and provide results other than instantaneous values of variables. The invention further relates to post-processing analysis of measured variables and to statistical analysis. The NDL-based filtering method and apparatus enable improvements in the overall properties of electronic devices including, but not limited to, improvements in performance, reduction in size, weight, cost, and power consumption, and, in particular for wireless devices, NDLs enable improvements in spectrum usage efficiency.

In at least one embodiment, a system comprising a first circuit and a second circuit is provided. The first circuit includes a first filter filtering a first input signal and generating a first filtered output signal. The first circuit includes a first comparator comparing the first filtered output signal to a first threshold value and providing a first output signal indicative of a failure condition to one or more first processors. The second circuit includes a second filter filtering the first input signal and generating a second filtered output signal to filter the first input signal in less time than the first filter filtering the first input signal. The second circuit includes a second comparator comparing the second filtered output signal to a second threshold value and providing a second output signal indicative of the failure condition to one or more second processors.

In at least one embodiment, a system comprising a first circuit and a second circuit is provided. The first circuit includes a first filter filtering a first input signal and generating a first filtered output signal. The first circuit includes a first comparator comparing the first filtered output signal to a first threshold value and providing a first output signal indicative of a failure condition to one or more first processors. The second circuit includes a second filter filtering the first input signal and generating a second filtered output signal to filter the first input signal in less time than the first filter filtering the first input signal. The second circuit includes a second comparator comparing the second filtered output signal to a second threshold value and providing a second output signal indicative of the failure condition to one or more second processors.

An RC calibration method and an RC calibration circuit are provided. The method includes: providing an RC calibration circuit; calculating a ratio of an input period of an input clock signal to an initial period, and configuring the processing circuit to perform a calibration process including: adjusting a first current source, a second current source, and/or an adjustment factor of the input period according to the ratio, so as to satisfy a specified RC product, or adjusting a resistance and/or a capacitance of the specified RC product; controlling the first current source to charge a to-be-calibrated capacitor; and determining whether a comparison signal indicates that first and second voltages meet a calibration completion condition, and if not, adjusting the to-be-calibrated resistor and/or the to-be-calibrated capacitor until the comparison signal indicates that the first and second voltages meet the calibration completion condition.