Method and circuit arrangement for switching an electronic circuit into a power-saving mode

• US 20050202798A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kurz, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/071,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20050202798A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/343.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/0016 by using a control or a clock signal, e.g. in order to apply power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/1732 by limitation or reduction of the pin/gate ratio for data-processing equipment G06F1/22

Abstract

A method and circuit arrangement are provided for switching an electronic circuit into a power-saving mode by a switchover signal that is characterized in that a data output pin of the circuit is simultaneously used as an input pin for an external signal on the basis of which the switchover signal is then produced. When method or circuit arrangement is used, an electronic circuit can be placed in the power-saving mode without the need to provide an additional connecting pin for this purpose.

Claims

1. A method for switching an electronic circuit into a power-saving mode by a switchover signal, wherein a data output pin of the circuit is also used as an input pin for an external signal on the basis of which the switchover signal is then produced.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein a potential value at the data output pin is compared with a reference value to thereby generate a first internal control signal;

wherein the first internal control signal is logically combined with a second internal control signal; and

wherein the result of the combination is then the switchover signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second internal control signal represents an activity of data transmission to the data output pin.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a switchover to the power-saving mode only occurs if the second internal control signal indicates a state of absence of data transmission activity.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, once switchover to the power-saving mode takes place, a pull-up resistor connected between the data output pin and a connection for a supply voltage is replaced by a low current source.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the replacement by the low current source is controlled by the switchover signal.

7. A circuit arrangement for switching an electronic circuit into a power-saving mode by a switchover signal, wherein a data output pin of the circuit is also used as an input pin for an external signal on the basis of which the switchover signal is then produced.

8. The circuit arrangement according to claim 7, wherein connected to the data output pin is a comparator for comparing the external signal to a reference signal and for generating a first internal control signal as a function of the comparison result.

9. The circuit arrangement according to claim 8, wherein a signal generator indicates an activity of data transmission on the data output pin by a second internal control signal.

10. The circuit arrangement according to claim 9, wherein a logical combiner combines the first and second internal control signals.

11. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the switchover signal is generated by the logical combiner.

12. The circuit arrangement according to claim 7, wherein a switch replaces a pull-up resistor, which is arranged between the data output pin and a supply voltage, with a low current source.

13. The circuit arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the low current source and the pull-up resistor are connected in parallel, and wherein the switch is a transistor that is connected directly ahead of the low current source and/or directly ahead of the pull-up resistor.

14. The circuit arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the switch is controlled by the switchover signal.

15. The circuit arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the low current source is a resistor having a higher value than the pull-up resistor.

16. A method for switching an electronic circuit into a power-saving mode, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an absence of data transmission on a data output pin of the electronic circuit by a detector, the detector providing a first signal to a combiner based on the detection of the absence of data transmission;

detecting a power-save signal on the data output pin by a comparator, the comparator providing a second signal to the combiner based on the detection of the power-save signal, the power-save signal being inputted from an external controller to the data output pin of the electronic circuit;

comparing the first signal and the second signal; and

switching the electronic circuit into the power-saving mode on the basis of the comparison of the first signal and the second signal.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein an integrated circuit provides data for output on the data output pin, the integrated circuit being integrated in the electronic circuit.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the integrated circuit is an infrared receiver.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the electronic circuit is switched into the power-saving mode when an absence of data transmission is detected and when a power-save signal is detected.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the combiner is an AND gate, the AND gate providing a power-switching mode signal to switch the electronic circuit into the power-saving mode when an absence of data transmission is detected and when a power-save signal is detected.