Ovidiu Vermesan

A 500-dpi AC capacitive hybrid flip-chip CMOS ASIC/sensor module for fingerprint, navigation, and pointer detection with on-chip data processing

A fingerprint detection technology that supports navigation, pointer, and fingerprint acquisition is described. The hybrid system consists of a silicon sensor substrate flip-chipped onto a mixed-signal ASIC. The sensor is linear and the finger is swiped over to scan the fingerprint. The navigation and pointer functions are based on the motion detection of the finger on the substrate sensor. Stroking and tapping the sensor substrate surface with the finger determines movement of the cursor and clicking-like mouse. To achieve 500 dpi fingerprint detection accuracy, separate process optimization for both the ASIC and the sensor substrate gives an alternative solution compared with all other silicon sensor approaches. The ASIC is 18 mm/sup 2/ in 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS and the sensor is 105 mm/sup 2/.

Automotive ethernet: in-vehicle networking and smart mobility

This paper discusses novel communication network topologies and components and describes an evolutionary path of bringing Ethernet into automotive applications with focus on electric mobility. For next generation in-vehicle networking, the automotive industry identified Ethernet as a promising candidate besides CAN and FlexRay. Ethernet is an IEEE standard and is broadly used in consumer and industry domains. It will bring a number of changes for the design and management of in-vehicle networks and provides significant re-use of components, software, and tools. Ethernet is intended to connect inside the vehicle high-speed communication requiring sub-systems like Advanced Driver Assistant Systems (ADAS), navigation and positioning, multimedia, and connectivity systems. For hybrid (HEVs) or electric vehicles (EVs), Ethernet will be a powerful part of the communication architecture layer that enables the link between the vehicle electronics and the Internet where the vehicle is a part of a typical Internet of Things (IoT) application. Using Ethernet for vehicle connectivity will effectively manage the huge amount of data to be transferred between the outside world and the vehicle through vehicle-to-x (V2V and V2I or V2I+I) communication systems and cloud-based services for advanced energy management solutions. Ethernet is an enabling technology for introducing advanced features into the automotive domain and needs further optimizations in terms of scalability, cost, power, and electrical robustness in order to be adopted and widely used by the industry.

Minkowski Fractal Microstrip Antenna for RFID Tags

The unique properties of fractals have been exploited to develop a new class of antenna element designs that are multi band and compact in size. These properties are very important for RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tags where the small size, planar geometries, multi band operation and low cost are essential for many applications. This paper presents a one loop Minkowski modified antenna using a unique configuration and operating at 868 MHz and 2.45 GHz that has been realized on a Rogers Duroid substrate. Experimental results confirm the theoretical prediction. In addition, the principle applied in this design could be used to create even smaller devices by using different substrates.

Internet of Energy – Connecting Energy Anywhere Anytime

The forthcoming Smart Grid is expected to implement a new concept of transmission network which is able to efficiently route the energy produced from both concentrated and distributed plants up to the final user with high security and quality of supply standards. Therefore the Smart Grid is expected to be the implementation of a kind of “internet” in which the energy packets are managed similarly to data packets, across routers and gateways which autonomously can decide the best pathway for the packet to reach its destination with the best integrity levels. In this respect the “Internet of Energy” concept is defined as a network infrastructure based on standard and interoperable communication transceivers, gateways and protocols that allow a real time balance between the local and the global generation and storage capability with the energy demand, also allowing high level of consumer awareness and involvement. This paper presents some basic concept of the Internet of Energy and, in particular, its impact on Electric Mobility.

Smart, connected and mobile: architecting future electric mobility ecosystems

This paper provides an overview on facts and trends towards the introduction of connected electric vehicle (EV) and discusses how and to what extent electric mobility will be integrated into the Internet of Energy (IoE) and Smart grid infrastructure to provide novel energy management solutions. In this context the EVs are evolving from mere transportation mediums to advanced mobile connectivity ecosystem platforms.

Multi-system, multi-band RFID antenna: bridging the gap between HF- and UHF-based RFID applications

In this paper a multi-system, multi-band antenna structure for RFID applications is presented. The antenna covers two UHF bands allocated for RFID use in Europe (866-868 MHz) and N. America (902-928 MHz) with a dual-band PIFA element as well as HF 13.56 MHz band with a near-field coil. Both systems in the antenna are shown to perform well on free space and on metal, allowing a wide use of the same tag antenna on different environments and systems.

e-Mobility the next frontier for automotive industry

This paper provides an overview on the introduction of electric vehicles (EV) and discusses how electric mobility will influence the developments in automotive industry by integrating the EVs into the Internet of Energy (IoE) and Smart grid infrastructure by providing novel business models and requiring new semiconductor devices and modules. In this context the EVs are evolving from mere transportation mediums to advanced mobile connectivity ecosystem platforms.

Semiconductor technologies for smart mobility management

This paper provides an overview of the latest developments in the development of semiconductor devices for implementation of electronic modules for EVs and HEVs and the implementation of charging stations and the interface with the smart grid infrastructure. The design choices are influenced by the power level of the different applications.

Internet of Robotic Things - Converging Sensing/Actuating, Hyperconnectivity, Artificial Intelligence and IoT Platforms

The Internet of Things (IoT) concept is evolving rapidly and influencing new developments in various application domains, such as the Internet of Mobile Things (IoMT), Autonomous Internet of Things (A-IoT), Autonomous System of Things (ASoT), Internet of Autonomous Things (IoAT), Internet of Things Clouds (IoT-C) and the Internet of Robotic Things (IoRT) etc. that are progressing/advancing by using IoT technology. The IoT influence represents new development and deployment challenges in different areas such as seamless platform integration, context based cognitive network integration, new mobile sensor/actuator network paradigms, things identification (addressing, naming in IoT) and dynamic things discoverability and many others. The IoRT represents new convergence challenges and their need

Nanoelectronics: Key Enabler for Energy Efficient Electrical Vehicles

Future Electric (EVs) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) will provide more flexibility when choosing between primary energy sources, including those which are renewable. In general conventional ICEs vehicles transform between only 17 and 22% (depending on power train) of the fuel chemical energy with a typical primary energy consumption of 550-600 Wh/km (0.06 l/km). Efficient electrically powered trains can achieve conversion efficiencies greater than 75% from the batteries to the wheels, which corresponds to consumption in primary energy of about 390 Wh/km in the case where electricity is produced by conventional carbon based power plants, or only 180 Wh/km where the electricity is produced solely by renewable energy. The partial recovery of kinetic energy during braking gives rise to further improvement in the overall efficiency. The development of advanced smart electronic systems in power trains is therefore essential for delivering a considerable energy saving in terms of the most critical sources (oil and natural gas - NG). This paper presents the advances made in the overall power electronic modules for electric and hybrid vehicles, and which are addressed in the E3Car project.