Method for acquiring a fingerprint, performed by a device comprising an active thermal sensor when it is electrically supplied at a distance by a terminal, said sensor comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising a pyroelectric capacitor which, when it is subjected to a variation in temperature, generates electrical charges, each pixel being associated with a heating element adapted for heating said pixel and being connected to a reading circuit able to measure the electrical charges generated by said capacitor. The method relies on a taking into account of the heating element received by each pixel of said sensor (33, 34) in order to determine when said pixel is able to provide (36) a signal that can be used for generating information representing a part of a fingerprint.

A pyroelectric device, comprising a plurality of layers of a polar dielectric material having a pyroelectric coefficient, p, wherein each layer exhibits pyroelectric properties; a plurality of conductive electrodes, wherein each conductive electrode is substantially in contact with at least a portion of one surface of a respective at least one of said plurality of layers of polar dielectric material, wherein said electrodes are electrically connected in a parallel configuration as to form a series of capacitors comprised of said plurality of layers of polar dielectric material and plurality of conductive electrodes.

Technologies for tuning a resistance of tunnel junctions such as Josephson junctions are disclosed. In the illustrative embodiment, a Josephson junction is heated to 85 Celsius, and an electric field is applied to the Josephson junction. The heat and the electric field cause the resistance of the Josephson junction to increase. Monitoring the Josephson junction during the application of the electric field allows for the resistance of the Josephson junction to be adjusted to a particular value.

A temperature sensor includes a first electrode, second electrode, and a pyroelectric layer between the first electrode and the second electrode. The pyroelectric layer includes a ferroelectric polymer and an ionogel.

A temperature difference power generation apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a thermoelectric conversion element configured to convert thermal energy into electric energy based on a temperature difference, radiation fins which are thermally connected to a low-temperature side of the thermoelectric conversion element and contactable to outside air, and a pipe which is thermally connected to a high-temperature side of the thermoelectric conversion element and through which a high-temperature fluid at a higher temperature than the outside air is flowable.

Method for acquiring a fingerprint, performed by a device comprising an active thermal sensor when it is electrically supplied at a distance by a terminal, said sensor comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising a pyroelectric capacitor which, when it is subjected to a variation in temperature, generates electrical charges, each pixel being associated with a heating element adapted for heating said pixel and being connected to a reading circuit able to measure the electrical charges generated by said capacitor. The method relies on a taking into account of the heating element received by each pixel of said sensor (33, 34) in order to determine when said pixel is able to provide (36) a signal that can be used for generating information representing a part of a fingerprint.

It is disclosed a woven textile fabric comprising a first and a second electrically conductive layer (20; 30) of interwoven conductive yarns (22, 24; 32, 34) and a first intermediate pseudo-layer (40) of structural and insulating yarns (45) comprised between the first and the second electrically conductive layer and a plurality of binding yarns (47) interlacing the first and second conductive layers (20; 30) and the intermediate layer (40). The structural yarns (45) and the binding yarns (47) have piezoelectric properties.

The invention relates to a manufacturing process of a pixel array of a thermal pattern sensor comprising the steps of: providing a substrate; depositing a first layer of electrically conductive material, including depositing electrically conductive tracks, depositing of connector pins and depositing a ground strip; depositing of second layer of pyroelectric material covering the tracks and leaving at least part of the connector pins free; depositing of third layer of electrically conductive material; depositing of fourth layer of dielectric material in contact with the third layer; depositing of a fifth layer including electrically conductive heating tracks; depositing of a sixth protective layer,
wherein the step of depositing the second and/or third and/or fourth and/or sixth layer is carried out by slot-die coating.

Test procedures and equipment for the test and calibration of ultra-small thermal imaging cores, or micro-cores are disclosed. Test fixtures for calibration and adjustment that allow for operation and image acquisition of multiple cores at a time may also be provided. Test procedures and fixtures that allow for full temperature calibration of each individual core, as well as providing data useful for uniformity correction during operation, may also be provided as part of the test and manufacture of the core.

Method for capturing a heat pattern with a sensor including a plurality of pixels each comprising a heat-sensitive measuring element, the sensor comprising an element for heating the measuring element, the method including carrying out the following steps for each pixel: a first heating step in which a first amount of heating power is dissipated in the measuring element; a first step of measuring the heat pattern, comprising a first read-out of the heat-sensitive measuring element, after a first delay time; a second heating step in which a second amount of heating power is dissipated in the measuring element; a second step of measuring the heat pattern, comprising a second read-out after a second delay time; and wherein the first amount of power is different from the second amount of power and/or the length of the first delay time is different from that of the second delay time.