Communication devices with integrated thermal sensing circuit and methods for use therewith

• US 20080285633A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A communication device includes an integrated circuit having an on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the integrated circuit. A processing module processes the temperature signal to generate temperature information that can be transmitted to a remote device or processes the temperature signal to generate control for adjusting transmit and/or receive characteristics of an RF transceiver.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the integrated circuit; and

a processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream, to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data, and to generate a control signal in accordance with the temperature signal;

an RF transceiver section, coupled to generate an outbound RF signal from the outbound symbol stream and to generate the inbound symbol stream from an inbound RF signal, based on the control signal; and

an antenna structure coupled to receive the inbound RF signal and to transmit the outbound RF signal.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the control signal indicates at least one of, a transmit power level and a protocol parameter selection.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the control signal indicates a receiver sensitivity.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the control signal indicates at least one of one of, an in-air beamforming phase, a diversity antenna selection, and a polarization antenna selection.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the antenna structure includes one of, a diversity antenna structure, a polarized antenna structure, as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna structure, as a single-input single-output (SISO) antenna structure and wherein the antenna structure modifies an antenna configuration based on the control signal.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the on-chip thermal sensing circuit includes one of:

a resistive thermal detector;

a thermocouple;

a silicon bandgap thermal sensor; and

a cantilever beam capacitive thermal sensor.

7. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the integrated circuit; and

a processing module coupled to process a temperature signal to produce temperature information, to convert outbound data into the outbound symbol stream, to convert the inbound symbol stream into inbound data, wherein the outbound data includes the temperature information; and

an RF transceiver section, coupled to generate an outbound RF signal from the outbound symbol stream and to generate the inbound symbol stream from an inbound RF signal.

8. The IC of claim 7 wherein the RF transceiver section operates in accordance with one of, a wireless local area network protocol, a wireless personal area network protocol, a wireless telephony protocol, and a wireless chip-to-chip protocol.

9. The IC of claim 7 wherein the temperature information is formatted for use by an external device in accordance with a weather application.

10. The IC of claim 9 further comprising:

a position generation module, coupled to generate position information;

wherein the outbound data further includes the position information.

11. The IC of claim 7 wherein the temperature information is formatted for use by an external device in accordance with a location-based application.

12. The IC of claim 7 wherein the on-chip thermal sensing circuit includes one of:

a resistive thermal detector;

a thermocouple;

a silicon bandgap thermal sensor; and

a cantilever beam capacitive thermal sensor.

13. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the integrated circuit; and

a processing module coupled to process a temperature signal, to convert outbound data into the outbound symbol stream, to convert the inbound symbol stream into inbound data, and to generate a control signal in accordance with the temperature signal; and

an RF transceiver section, coupled to generate an outbound RF signal from the outbound symbol stream and to generate the inbound symbol stream from an inbound RF signal, based on the control signal.

14. The IC of claim 13 wherein the control signal indicates at least one of, a transmit power level and a protocol parameter selection.

15. The IC of claim 13 wherein the control signal indicates a receiver sensitivity.

16. The IC of claim 13 wherein the control signal indicates at least one of one of, an in-air beamforming phase, a diversity antenna selection, and a polarization antenna selection.

17. The IC of claim 13 wherein the control signal indicates an antenna configuration of an antenna structure, and wherein the antenna configuration includes one of, a diversity antenna configuration, a polarized antenna configuration, as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna configuration, and a single-input single-output (SISO) antenna configuration.

18. The IC of claim 13 wherein the on-chip thermal sensing circuit includes one of:

a resistive thermal detector;

a thermocouple;

a silicon bandgap thermal sensor; and

a cantilever beam capacitive thermal sensor.