Data processing system and data processing method

• US 20030052176A1
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Yoshiharu, Nozawa, Tohru
• Granted Patent: US 6,942,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0274 Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10734 Ball grid array [BGA]; Bump grid array

Abstract

An IC chip is provided with a wireless unit for inputting and outputting data by wireless communication, in addition to a logic section, so that the IC chip no longer needs I/O pads, leaving only power supply and ground pads. IC chips can input and output data with one another by wireless communications, which makes it possible to significantly improve the spacing relationships of various chips on a singular or even plurality of substrates.

Claims

1. A data processing system comprising a plurality of IC chips with wireless communications capability, each of which includes wireless communications input/output structure for performing wireless data input and output and is allowed to input and output data with one another via said wireless communications input/output structure.

2. The data processing system according to claim 1, wherein each of said IC chips with wireless communications capability performs all data input and output via said wireless communications input/output structure.

3. The data processing system according to claim 1, further including a plurality of IC modules mounted on a single substrate, each of said IC modules including a respective IC chip with wireless communications capability.

4. The data processing system according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of IC modules are placed on one surface or both surfaces of said single substrate, and said substrate contains only power supply and ground layers as wiring layers.

5. The data processing system according to claim 1, further including a plurality of IC modules, each of said IC modules mounted on separate substrates, respectively, each of said IC modules including a respective IC chip with wireless communications capability.

6. The data processing system according to claim 1, further including a plurality of IC modules installed in a single computer, each IC module including a respective IC chip with wireless communications capability.

7. The data processing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said IC chips with wireless communications capability includes wired communications input/output structure for performing data input and output with selected ones of said other IC chips via a wire connection, and transmits and receives data with said selected ones of said other IC chips via said wired communications input/output structure including said wire connection.

8. The data processing system according to claim 1, wherein said IC chips with wireless communications capability use electromagnetic waves as a communications medium.

9. The data processing system according to claim 1, further including a plurality of IC modules accommodated in a common electromagnetic shield space, each of said IC modules including a respective IC chip with wireless communication capability.

10. The data processing system according to claim 1, wherein the communications medium for said IC chips with wireless communications capability comprises RF electromagnetic waves, infrared rays, and/or laser beams.

11. The data processing system according to claim 1, wherein plural sets or plural pairs of said IC chips with wireless communications capability use electromagnetic waves with different frequencies, respectively, so that said plural sets or said plural pairs are allowed to input and output data simultaneously.

12. The data processing system according to claim 11, further comprising a frequency-assigning IC chip with wireless communications capability for assigning frequencies of electromagnetic waves used when said IC chips with wireless communications capability input and output data with one another via the respective wireless communications input/output means.

13. The data processing system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of IC chips with wireless communications capability include a plurality of masters, at least one slave, and an arbiter, and each of said masters makes an arbitration request to said arbiter for data communications with said slave prior to said data communications.

14. The data processing system according to claim 13, wherein each of said masters is assigned with a unique frequency, and communicates with said arbiter by using an electromagnetic wave with said unique frequency.

15. The data processing system according to claim 14, wherein a master-slave frequency is set, and each of said masters is allowed to communicate with a desired slave by using an electromagnetic wave with said master-slave frequency.

16. The data processing system according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of different master-slave frequencies are set, and a plurality of master-slave pairs are allowed to communicate simultaneously by using electromagnetic waves with the respective master-slave frequencies.

17. The data processing system according to claim 15, wherein said master-slave frequency is assigned as a master-unique frequency or a slave-unique frequency.

18. The data processing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said IC chips with wireless communications capability is provided with an antenna connected to said wireless communications input/output structure.

19. The data processing system according to claim 18, further including a substrate and a module having said at least one of said IC chips therein, said antenna being formed along a side edge of said IC chip, and said module being mounted on said substrate by a flip-chip BGA technique.

20. The data processing system according to claim 1, further including a package having one of said IC chips with wireless communications capability therein and an antenna connected to said wireless communications input/output structure so as to protrude from said package in an exposed state.

21. The data processing system according to claim 1, further including a module having at least one of said IC chips with wireless communications capability therein and including an antenna pad connected to said wireless communications input/output structure, said system further including a substrate having an antenna standing upright and fixed to said substrate, said module including said IC chip with wireless communications capability is mounted on said substrate.

22. The data processing system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of IC chips with wireless communications capability include a program memory IC chip storing various programs and a program executing IC chip capable of rewriting said programs.

23. The data processing system according to claim 22, wherein said program memory IC chip stores programs that can be read out for executing interface functions between a CPU and respective peripherals, and said program executing IC chip performs data input and output with said peripherals by wireless communications and loads said program for executing the interface function between the CPU and the peripheral from said program memory chip.

24. A data processing method comprising the steps of:

preparing a plurality of IC chips with wireless communications capability each including wireless communications input/output structure for performing wireless data input and output; and

allowing said plurality of IC chips with wireless communications capability to input and output data with one another via said wireless communications input/output structure.

25. The data processing method according to claim 24, wherein, upon performing said data input and output between said IC chips with wireless communications capability via said wireless communications input/output structure, plural sets or plural pairs of said IC chips with wireless communications capability use electromagnetic waves with different frequencies, respectively, to thereby cause said plural sets or said plural pairs to perform said data input and output simultaneously.

26. The data processing method according to claim 24, wherein, upon performing said data input and output between said IC chips with wireless communications capability via said wireless communications input/output structure, said plurality of IC chips with wireless communications capability are classified into a plurality of masters, at least one slave, and an arbiter, and each of said masters makes an arbitration request to said arbiter for data communications with said slave prior to said communications.

27. A data processing method comprising the steps of:

preparing a program memory IC chip storing various programs, and a program executing IC chip capable of rewriting said programs, both of said IC chips including wireless communications capability with a wireless communications input/output structure for performing wireless data input and output; and

allowing said program executing IC chip to load from said program memory IC chip by wireless communications and then execute a desired program.

28. The data processing method according to claim 27, wherein said program is a program for executing interface functions between a CPU and respective peripherals, and said program executing IC chip performs data input and output with said peripherals by wireless communications and executes the interface function between said CPU and said peripherals.