Electronic device with ID tag, central processing unit with ID tag, and ID tag for electronic device

• US 20030042316A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Teraura, Nobuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,873,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication

Abstract

An ID tag in an electronic device with a CPU and an antenna coil can communicate with the CPU through signal lines to store operation record data of the electronic device in a non-volatile memory therein. The record data is readable by a reader writer by transmission of the data with the antenna coil. A CPU including a semiconductor chip including a central processing unit portion, an ID tag portion can be used in an electronic device to store and read the operation record data. An ID tag for an electronic device has a communication circuit for communicating with a CPU for the electronic device to store operation record data of the electronic device from the CPU. The ID tag can store ticket data in a telephone to use as a ticket. The ID tags in electronic devices can record payment data for preventing illegal use.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling said electronic device;

a signal line; and

an ID tag having a communication circuit for communicating with said central processing unit through said signal line and a non-volatile memory for storing data from said central processing unit.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ID tag further comprises an antenna coil and a semiconductor circuit including said non-volatile memory, a read-write circuit for said non-volatile memory, a wireless communication circuit for wirelessly transmitting said data from said non-volatile memory through said antenna coil, and a power supply circuit for wirelessly receiving a supply power through said antenna coil to supply a power to said non-volatile memory, said read-write circuit, and said wireless communication circuit.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a printed circuit board for mounting said central processing unit and said semiconductor circuit, wherein said semiconductor circuit has a form of a semiconductor chip.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a semiconductor chip containing said central processing unit and said ID tag.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said antenna coil comprises a wire pattern on said printed circuit board.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said antenna coil comprises a discrete antenna coil element fixed on said printed circuit board.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said antenna coil comprising a discrete antenna coil element fixed at a predetermined position on an outer surface of said electronic device.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a case partially having radio wave transparent member for containing said central processing unit and said ID tag, wherein said antenna coil comprises a discrete antenna coil element fixed at a predetermined position on an inner surface of said electronic device and covered with said radio wave transparent member.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central processing unit obtains operation record data of said electronic device and stores said operation record in said non-volatile memory as said data.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said central processing unit obtains data usable for recycling and reusing said electronic device as said operation record data.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a plurality of units, wherein said central processing unit obtains operating time data of said electronic device and operating time data of said devices, and wherein said data obtaining means stores a predetermined part of said operating time data of said electronic device and said units in said non-volatile memory.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said non-volatile memory has a manufacturing data area and an operating time data area, and manufacturing data regarding said electronic device has been stored at said manufacturing data area of said non-volatile memory in a manufacturing process of said electronic device.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of units, wherein said manufacturing data includes data of a body of said electronic device and said units regarding structure, materials, and scraping processes.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a battery for supplying a battery-backup supply power to said ID tag at least when a supply power to said electronic device is cut off.

20. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a portable telephone circuit for receiving ticket data, wherein said central processing unit stores said ticket data in said ID tag when said portable telephone circuit receives said ticket data, and said central processing unit reads said ticket data from said ID tag and transmits said ticket data from said ID tag when said wireless communication circuit receives a predetermined reading request of said ticket data.

21. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic device has a plurality of functions executed by said central processing unit, and said central processing unit reads said data from said ID tag and executes only a portion of said functions indicated by said data.

22. The electronic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein said central processing unit judges whether, in said data, there is a predetermined data indicating that the cost of this electronic device has been paid, and said central processing unit executes a specific one of said predetermined functions in the absence of said predetermined data.

23. The electronic device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said electronic device further comprising a power-on detection circuit, said specific one of said predetermined functions includes a diagnostic operation for this electronic device and a stop operation for stopping the operation of said electronic device, and said central processing unit executes, in response to the detected power-on, said diagnostic operation and then, executes said stop operation.

24. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic device has a memory for storing a software to be executed by said central processing unit, said central processing unit judges whether there is a predetermined data indicating that the cost of said software with functions has been paid in said ID tag, and said central processing unit does not execute at least a portion of said functions of said software in the absence of said predetermined data.

25. The electronic device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said electronic devices further comprising a power-on detection circuit and informing means, in response to said detected power-on, said central processing unit judges whether, in said data, there is a predetermined data indicating registered operator in said ID tag and requests for inputting identification data of an operator with said informing means in the presence of said predetermined data, and said central processing unit executes a specific operation, when said identification data is not inputted in response to said request, and when the inputted data does not correspond said predetermined data.

26. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising communication means communicable with a network, wherein said ID tag stores an identification number of said electronic device, and said central processing unit judges whether, in said data, there is a predetermined data indicating that the cost of this electronic device has been paid, and said central processing unit reads said identification data of said electronic device and an address of a predetermined site and transmits said identification number to a predetermined site with said read address through said communication means and said network in the absence of said predetermined data.

27. The electronic device as claimed in claim 26, further comprising conditional data acquiring means for acquiring conditional data of said electronic device and said central processing unit transmits said conditional data together with said identification data in the absence of said predetermined data.

28. The electronic device as claimed in claim 22, further comprising a digital camera unit generating image data and an interface circuit communicable with a personal computer, wherein said central processing unit transmits a forwarding request to said personal computer as said one of said predetermined functions when said image data is transmitted to said personal computer through said interface circuit in the absence of said predetermined data in said ID tag to operate said personal computer to transmit said image data to a predetermined site if said personal computer has communication means for communicating with a network and communication with said network is possible.

29. The electronic device as claimed in claim 22, further comprising a printer unit outputting a printed image on a sheet of paper, wherein said central processing unit outputs said printed image indicating that the cost of this electronic device has not been paid as said one of predetermined function in the absence of said predetermined data.

30. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said printed circuit board has a layer therein made of a high magnetic permeability material.

15. A central processing unit for an electronic device comprising:

a substrate;

a central processing unit portion in a form of a semiconductor chip on said substrate for controlling said electronic device, said central processing unit portion having a memory storing an operation record data obtaining program for obtaining operation record data of said electronic device;

a signal line; and

an ID tag semiconductor circuit coupled to said central processing unit portion with a non-volatile memory for communicating with said central processing unit portion through said signal line to store said operation record data from said central processing unit portion in said non-volatile memory.

16. The central processing unit claimed in claim 15, further comprises a semiconductor chip including said central processing unit portion, said signal line, and said ID tag semiconductor circuit.

17. The central processing unit as claimed in claim 15, further comprising an antenna coil on said substrate arranged around said central processing unit portion, a wirelessly communication circuit for wirelessly transmitting said data from said non-volatile memory through said antenna coil, and sealing plastic, wherein said antenna coil and semiconductor chip are sealed with said sealing plastic.

18. The central processing unit as claimed in claim 17, further comprising terminals connectable to an external antenna coil and a switch connectable to said wireless communication circuit for using either of said antenna coil or said external antenna coil.

19. An ID tag connectable to a central processing unit for controlling an electronic device electronic device, comprising;

a communication circuit for communicating with said central processing unit;

a memory circuit having a non-volatile memory for storing data from said central processing unit; and

an antenna coil for wirelessly transmitting said data read from said non-volatile memory.