The Projects and Transfer Unit offers the service of access to all the technologies developed by the researchers of the Seville Microelectronics Institute. Among the technologies offered are patents, utility models, know-how and software. In this space our Patent Portfolio is shown. If you want more information or do not find what you are looking for, you just have to contact us.
Current technological offer
The patents in force with the possibility of licensing by current technology companies are shown below.
Acousto-Optic System & Method for generating PUFs
Summary:
This method to generate strong physical unclonable functions (PUFs) uses acousto-optic systems. In this system the acousto-optic medium modulates an optical beam to generate multiple patterns used to probe a PUF based in optical scattering. This system allows to reduce complexity while maintaining high integrability and reliability.
Multiple challenge-response pairs can be generated by varying the properties of the acoustic signal or by using multiple acousto-optic mediums could arranged sequentially. In addition, this acousto-optic system can be implemented as a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), enabling its miniaturisation and integration in Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 31/05/24
Inventors: Martín Sanchez, David; Brox Jiménez, Piedad
Patent Holder: Spanish National Research Council
Method and Hardware for single-shot simultaneous AE and HDR imaging
Summary:
This sensing method for simultaneous realization of auto-exposure (AE) and high dynamic range (HDR) during image capture. Hardware implementation based on pixel array circuitry that automatically adjusts its response to the ambient illumination and fits the radiance map of the scene into the available signal range. Linear sensor response for low levels
of light intensity and non-linear sensing response for high levels of light intensity – “low” and “high” relative to the ambient illumination. No extra time apart from the photo-integration interval needed to generate a HDR image. Arbitrary radiance maps can be accommodated into the available signal range. Asynchronous operation of the proposed circuitry once the pixels are reset, requiring no external control.
Industrial partners are sought to collaborate through a patent licence agreement.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 26/10/23
Inventors: Carmona Galán, Ricardo; Fernández Berni, Jorge y Lamouraa Sedlackova, Yassine
Patent Holder: Spanish National Research Council and University of Seville
Semiconductor Particle Detector Device
Summary:
This radiation-resistant semiconductor device is integrated into standard CMOS manufacturing technology. It acts as an active pixel in imaging detectors. It is capable of capturing images by detecting charged particles with energies in the range of 1 to 10 KeV. Its operation is based on measuring the electrostatic charge generated in a capacitor when it is irradiated by radiation. It uses MiM capacitors available in standard CMOS processes. The device can detect and measure both the sign and variations of the charge induced on a floating metal electrode. The pixel distribution allows the spatial distribution of the ionizing radiation flux to be measured.
Industrial partners are sought to collaborate through a patent licence agreement.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 14/07/23
Inventors: Carmona Galán, Ricardo; Leñero Bardallo, Juan Antonio; Johanny Sáenz Noval, Jorge y Cervera Gontard, Lionel
Patent Holder: Spanish National Research Council, University of Seville and University of Cadiz
Pixel for DVS vision sensors with one or more photodiodes operating in photovoltaic regime
Summary:
Csic and the University of Seville have developed a new Pixel arquitecture for DVS vision sensors with one or more photodiodes operating in photovoltaic regime. In this Pixel arquitecture, type "Dinamic Vision Sensor", its generated outputs pulses when the pixel detects temporary lighting variations. Its utilice several photodiodes, operating in photovoltaic region, like photoreceptors. The anode of this photodiodes can be directly connected to a buffer or voltage follower, whithout the necesity of using a logarithmic photoreceptor, reducing the dimensions of pixel respect other existing arquitectures.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 27/10/22
Inventors: Leñero Bardallo, Juan Antonio; Rodríguez Vázquez, Ángel y Fernández Peramo, Pablo
Patent Holder: Universidad de Sevilla y Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
Patent - Contact
Method and Device for generating true random numbers
Summary:
Csic and the University of Seville have developed a method and a device for generating true random numbers from Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) cells of any power-up bias, i.e., regardless of wether the cell has a greater or lesser tendency towards one of the logical power-up values. In contrast to the conventional power-up method, wich is only able to generate True Random Numbers from a very limited portion of the total number of cells in an SRAM, this new method is based on the Data Retention Voltage metric, wich provides the ability to extract randomness from any SRAM cell.
Industrial partners are sought to collaborate through a patent licence agreement.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 24/06/22
Inventors: Roca Moreno, Elisenda; Castro Lopez, Rafael; Sarazá Cantaflanca, Pablo y Fernández Fernández, Francisco Vidal
Patent Holder: University of Seville and Spanish National Research Council
Computer-implemented methods for post-quantum protection of information and for post-quantum secure information matching and cryptographic systems to perform the computer-implemented methods
Summary:
The present invention relates to post-quantum cryptographic methods for protecting sensitive information and matching the protected information. Sensitive information 10 can be represented by noisy data, in the sense that the data associated with identical sensitive information can show some differences among them when they are measured at different times. An example of noisy data is the data obtained from measurements of persons' and things' traits that are univocally associated with their physical entities, such as persons' biometric data.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 29/04/22
Inventors: Baturone Castillo, Mª Iluminada; Arjona López, María Rosario; López González; Paula; Román Hajderek, Roberto
Patent Holder: University of Seville and Spanish National Research Council
Method and device for PUF based on RTN
Summary:
CSIC and the University of Seville have developed a method and device for a Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) whose source of entropy comes from the phenomenon known as Random Telegraph Noise (RTN). The key element that differentiates the present invention from similar inventions that might use this phenomenon is the fact that it uses a metric that can capture, in a comprehensive manner, the amount of RTN present in each transistor. This invention allow that a PUF response can be obtained and can be used, for example, to authenticate any hardware element to which an instance of the PUF device is bound.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 18/04/22
Inventors: Roca Moreno, Elisenda; Castro López, Rafael; Brox Jiménez, Piedad; Camacho Ruiz, Eros; Fernández Fernández, Francisco Vidal
Patent Holder: University of Seville and Spanish National Research Council
Electronically foveated dynamic vision sensor
Summary:
CSIC and the University of Seville have developed an electronically foveated dynamic vision sensor that operates at a low resolution by default, being able to activate high resolution only when it detects an area of interest. This is a very significant novelty since it allows lower energy consumption, less information and a lower subsequent computational load than a regular dynamic vision sensor.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 05/10/2021
Inventors: Linares Barranco, Sevilla; Serrano Gotarredona, Teresa
Titular: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas y Universidad de Sevilla
Low-Power asynchronous solar sensor
Summary:
CSIC and the University of Seville have designed an asynchronous solar sensor with important advantages in front of all existing comercial solar sensors: it significantly reduces power consumption by operating the diodes in the photovoltaic region, it has a response time several orders of magnitude faster, and it calculates the coordenates of the centroid of the pixel region inside the chip, requiring no post-processing of the sensor data.
Status: Spanish patent obtained. PCT pending Priority: 04/03/2021
Inventors: Leñero Bardallo, Juan Antonio; Gómez Merchán, Ruben; Rodríguez Vázquez, Ángel
Patent Holder: University of Seville and Spanish National Research Council
Detector for measuring electron energy in scanning electron microscopes
Summary:
CSIC, the University of Cadiz and the University of Seville have developed a detector to measureelectron energy in SEM (Scaning Electron Microscope). The detector allows to measure both the intensity and the energy of electrons that are generated in it. This is a very important development. Until now, solid state detectors only measured the intensity of the signal and it was not possble to differentiate wether the changes in the measured signal were due to a change in intensity or to a change in the energy of the incident electrons.
Status: Spanish patent obtained. PCT processed Priority: 01/06/2020
Inventors: Carmona Galan, Ricardo; Leñero Bardallo, Juan Antonio y Cervera Gontard, Lionel
Patent Holder: University of Seville, University of Cadiz and Spanish National Research Council
Digital OR Pulse Combining Photomultiplier
Summary:
CSIC and the University of Seville have developed a digital OR pulse combining photomultiplier that reduces unnecessary energy expenditure that occurs in conventional architectures through spatial filtering of spurious avalanches. The technology presented is characterized by being made up of very compact macrocells with high energy efficiency. This allows the design of large digital photomultipliers that work much more efficiently than traditional ones.
Industrial partners are sought to collaborate through a patent licence agreement.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 14/02/2020
Inventors: Vornicu, Ion; Carmona Galan, Ricardo: Rodríguez Vázquez, Ángel
Patent Holder: University of Seville and Spanish National Research Council
Direct sensor for electron microscopy with in-pixel energy measurement
Summary:
CSIC has developed a pixelated direct sensor to capture high-resolution images using electron microscopes. Each pixel of the sensor uses more than one electrode to measure the charge generated, and the output of the sensor comprises values of intensity and energy of the electrons that impact the sensor. This enriched representation is very useful for taking images or spectra of materials with high dynamic range, and to extract chemical information. Industrial partners are sought to collaborate through a patent licence agreement.
Status: Patent pending Priority: 07/07/2016
Inventors: Carmona Galan, Ricardo and Cervera Gontard, Lionel
Patent Holder: Spanish National Research Council