Method for verifying the alignment between integrated electronic devices

A device, comprising:

• a first integrated circuit, including:
• a transmission electrode of a first coupling capacitor;
• a first transmitter to transmit a time-variant first communication signal communicatively coupled to the transmission electrode of the first coupling capacitor;
• a reference transmission electrode of a reference capacitor, configured to transmit a time-variant transmission reference signal;
• and
• a second integrated circuit configured to couple to the first integrated circuit and including:
• a reception electrode of the first coupling capacitor;
• a first coupling variable-gain amplifier having a first input communicatively coupled to the reception electrode of the first coupling capacitor and configured to generate a first compensated signal;
• a reception electrode of the reference capacitor;
• a reference variable-gain amplifier having a first input communicatively coupled to the reception electrode of the reference capacitor;
• and
• a reception gain control block coupled to an output of the reference variable-gain amplifier and configured to generate at least one gain control signal to control a gain of the first coupling variable-gain amplifier and a gain of the reference variable-gain amplifier based on the output of the reference variable-gain amplifier, wherein an amplitude of the first communication signal and an amplitude of the first compensated signal have an expected relationship when the first and second integrated circuits are aligned.

A device, comprising:

• a first integrated circuit, including:
• a plurality of transmission electrodes of a corresponding plurality of coupling capacitors, the plurality of transmission electrodes configured to transmit respective time-variant communication signals;
• and
• a reference transmission electrode of a reference capacitor, configured to transmit a time-variant transmission reference signal;
• and
• a second integrated circuit configured to couple to the first integrated circuit and including:
• a plurality of reception electrodes of the plurality of coupling capacitors;
• a plurality of coupling amplifiers communicatively coupled to respective reception electrodes of the plurality of coupling capacitors and configured to generate a plurality of compensated signals;
• a reference reception electrode of the reference capacitor;
• a reference amplifier having a first input communicatively coupled to the reference reception electrode of the reference capacitor;
• and
• a reception gain control block configured to generate at least one gain control signal to control respective gains of the coupling amplifiers and of the reference amplifier based on an output of the reference amplifier, wherein amplitudes of the respective communication signals and corresponding compensated signals have corresponding expected relationships when the first and second integrated circuits are aligned.

A system, comprising:

• a first integrated circuit, including:
• means for generating a time-variant first communication signal;
• means for transmitting the time-variant first communication signal;
• means for generating a time-variant reference transmission signal;
• means for transmitting the time-variant reference transmission signal;
• a second integrated circuit configured to couple to the first integrated circuit and including:
• means for receiving the transmitted time-variant first communication signal;
• means for generating a first compensated signal from the received first communication signal;
• means for receiving the transmitted reference transmission signal;
• means for generating a reception reference signal based on the received reference transmission signal;
• and
• means for controlling a gain of the means for generating a first compensated signal and of the means for generating a reception reference signal based on the reception reference signal;
• and
• means for determining whether the first and second integrated circuits are aligned based on amplitudes of the first communication signal and of the first compensated signal.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents cause at least one electronic device to perform a method, the method comprising:

• transmitting a transmission reference signal on a transmission reference electrode of a reference capacitor;
• receiving a coupling signal on a reception reference electrode of said reference capacitor;
• amplifying said coupling signal, generating a reception reference signal;
• generating a reception control signal as a function of said reception reference signal;
• transmitting a first communication signal on a first transmission electrode of a first coupling capacitor;
• receiving a first reception signal on a first reception electrode of said first coupling capacitor;
• amplifying said first reception signal, generating a first compensated signal;
• controlling a level of amplification of amplifying said coupling signal and of amplifying said first reception signal as a function of said reception control signal;
• and
• detecting a possible misalignment between first and second integrated electronic devices based on an amplitude of said first communication signal and an amplitude of said first compensated signal.