Self-powered radio integrated circuit with embedded antenna

• US 20080003963A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Turner, James B.
• Application Number:
  US11/479,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20080003963A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/185.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 MEMS

Abstract

A self-powered radio integrated circuit (IC) includes a radio IC node and an embedded antenna within a single IC package that is configurable for the transmission, receipt, and storage of data. The data is transmitted and received across a radio frequency band. A power source is mounted adjacent to the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit and the power source are included on the same chip carrier for inclusion in other systems.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an integrated circuit that is arranged to provide transmission, receipt, and storage of data, wherein the data is transmitted and received across a radio frequency band;

a power source that is mounted adjacent to the integrated circuit; and

an integrated circuit package that includes the integrated circuit and the power source and an embedded antenna that is manufactured at the time the integrated circuit is manufactured.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the embedded antenna is formed from a metal layer used in the construction of the integrated circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source corresponds to a Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMs) die.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source is mounted on a chip carrier with the integrated circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein bond wires directly connect the integrated circuit to the power source.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source generates power for the integrated circuit by turning mechanical energy into electrical energy according to a Piezo electric affect.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source corresponds to mounted rare earth magnets and vibrating arms with a metal coil that produce electric power from the electromotive force of the changing magnetic fields enclosed by the moving coil.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the embedded antenna is manufactured from a top layer of metal associated with the integrated circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the embedded antenna corresponds to a patch antenna or a slotted patch antenna or a spiral antenna.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises an analog compensator, wherein the analog compensator provides analog adjustments to operations of the integrated circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a flash memory, wherein the flash memory is arranged to store updates to the integrated circuit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises passive filters that are arranged to determine the logic levels associated with a received signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a phase locked loop that is arranged to determine the logic levels associated with a received signal.

14. A single integrated circuit package, comprising:

an integrated circuit that includes;

a central processing unit that is arranged to process data that is transmitted and received across a radio frequency network;

a memory that is arranged to store the data;

a transmitting portion of the integrated circuit that is arranged to process the data for transmission;

a receiving portion of the integrated circuit that is arranged to process the data when received; and

an antenna that is manufactured when the integrated circuit is manufactured; and

a power source that is wire bonded to the integrated circuit and provides power to the integrated circuit.

15. The single integrated circuit package of claim 14, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a spreading code generator that provides code for spreading a signal to be transmitted and despreading a signal received.

16. The single integrated circuit package of claim 14, wherein the memory of the integrated circuit comprises a flash memory.

17. The single integrated circuit package of claim 14, wherein the receiving portion of the integrated circuit is configured with passive filters to determine logic levels for symbols associated with received data.

18. The single integrated circuit package of claim 14, wherein the receiving portion of the integrated circuit is further configured with a phase locked loop to determine logic levels for symbols associated with received data.

19. An apparatus that includes a radio IC node and an embedded antenna within a single IC package that is configurable for the transmission, receipt, and storage of data, comprising:

means for determining whether a radio frequency channel is in use;

means for transmitting data across the radio frequency channel;

means for receiving data across the radio frequency channel;

means for determining whether the data received corresponds to data from a master node;

means for determining whether the data received corresponds to data from a simple node when the radio frequency channel is shown to be in use; and

means for forwarding the data when the data received is from a simple node.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for updating functions when the data received corresponds to configuration data from a master node.