RF integrated circuit having an on-chip pressure sensing circuit

• US 20080293447A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• 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 7,653,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

Abstract

An integrated circuit includes a on-chip pressure sensing circuit that generates a pressure signal based on a pressure of the integrated circuit. An RF transceiver generates an outbound RF signal from outbound data and to generate inbound data from an inbound RF signal, based on the pressure signal.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a on-chip pressure sensing circuit that generates a pressure signal based on an atmospheric pressure; and

an RF transceiver coupled to generate an outbound RF signal from outbound data and to generate inbound data from an inbound RF signal, wherein at least one of the generating the outbound RF signal and generating the inbound data is in accordance with the pressure signal.

2. The IC of claim 1 wherein the on-chip pressure sensing circuit includes one of:

a piezoresistive pressure sensor;

a fiber optic pressure sensor;

a vibrating element pressure sensor; and

a capacitive pressure sensor.

3. The IC of claim 1 wherein the IC is integrated in a package having a substrate and a die and wherein the RF transceiver and the on-chip pressure sensing circuit are implemented on the die.

4. The IC of claim 1 wherein the IC is integrated in a package having a substrate, a first die and a second die and wherein the RF transceiver is implemented on the first die and the on-chip pressure sensing circuit is implemented on the second die.

5. The IC of claim 1 further comprising:

a processing module, coupled to the on-chip pressure sensing circuit and the RF transceiver, that generates a control signal based on the pressure signal,

wherein the RF transceiver adjusts a transceiver parameter based on the control signal.

6. The IC of claim 5 wherein the IC is integrated in a package having a substrate and a die and wherein the RF transceiver, processing module and the on-chip pressure sensing circuit are implemented on the die.

7. The IC of claim 5 wherein the IC is integrated in a package having a substrate and a first die and a second die, and wherein the RF transceiver and processing module are implemented on the first die and the on-chip pressure sensing circuit is implemented on the second die.

8. The IC of claim 1 wherein the IC is integrated in a package with a top and a bottom having a plurality of bonding pads to connect the IC to a circuit board and wherein the on-chip pressure sensing circuit is integrated along the bottom of the package.

9. The IC of claim 7 wherein the bonding pads are arrayed in an area of the bottom with an open center portion and wherein the on-chip pressure sensing circuit is integrated in the open center portion.

10. The IC of claim 1 wherein the IC is integrated in one of, a surface mount package, and an in-line package.

11. The IC of claim 1 wherein the outbound data is based on the pressure signal.

12. The IC of claim 1 wherein the on-chip pressure sensing circuit is implemented with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology.

13. An integrated circuit (IC) comprises:

a package substrate that supports a die and an on-chip pressure sensing circuit that generates a pressure signal based on an atmospheric pressure;

the die supports;

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

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to generate an outbound RF signal from an outbound symbol stream, and to generate an inbound symbol stream from an inbound RF signal, in accordance with the pressure information.

14. The IC of claim 13 wherein the IC is integrated in one of, a surface mount package, and an in-line package.

15. The IC of claim 13 wherein the outbound data is based on the pressure signal.

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

a piezoresistive pressure sensor;

a fiber optic pressure sensor;

a vibrating element pressure sensor; and

a capacitive pressure sensor.

17. The IC device of claim 13 wherein the on-chip pressure sensing circuit is implemented with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology.

18. A wireless communication device comprising:

a on-chip pressure sensing circuit that generates a pressure signal based on an atmospheric pressure; 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 pressure 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.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18 wherein the control signal indicates at least one of, a transmit power level and a protocol parameter selection.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 18 wherein the control signal indicates a receiver sensitivity.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 18 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.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 18 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.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 18 wherein the on-chip pressure sensing circuit includes one of:

a piezoresistive pressure sensor;

a fiber optic pressure sensor;

a vibrating element pressure sensor; and

a capacitive pressure sensor.

24. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a on-chip pressure sensing circuit that generates a pressure signal based on an atmospheric pressure; and

a processing module coupled to process a pressure signal to produce pressure 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 pressure 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.

25. The IC of claim 24 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.

26. The IC of claim 24 wherein the pressure information is formatted for use by an external device in accordance with a weather application.

27. The IC of claim 26 further comprising:

a position generation module, coupled to generate position information;

wherein the outbound data further includes the position information.

28. The IC of claim 24 wherein the pressure information is formatted for use by an external device in accordance with a location-based application.

29. The IC of claim 24 wherein the pressure information includes an altitude.

30. The IC of claim 24 wherein the on-chip pressure sensing circuit includes one of:

a piezoresistive pressure sensor;

a fiber optic pressure sensor;

a vibrating element pressure sensor; and

a capacitive pressure sensor.