SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF CHARGING THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20110050165A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: SATO, Takehisa, OSADA, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,030,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

An object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device including a battery that can be wirelessly charged, in which the battery can be charged even when the semiconductor device is not put close to a power feeder. Such a semiconductor device has a structure including an antenna circuit, a communication control circuit to conduct wireless communication via the antenna circuit, a battery to be charged with electric power which is externally wirelessly fed via the antenna circuit, and an oscillator circuit to wirelessly feed electric power via the antenna circuit. In addition, the battery in the semiconductor device is wirelessly charged and the semiconductor device externally feeds electric power wirelessly to a chargeable battery in another semiconductor device.

Claims

1. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

charging the battery of the semiconductor device by receiving an electromagnetic wave;

communicating with a first device comprising a battery; and

sending an electromagnetic wave from the semiconductor device to the first device to feed an electric power to the battery of the first device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the battery of the semiconductor device is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.

3. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

communicating with a first device comprising a battery;

charging the battery of the semiconductor device by receiving an electromagnetic wave from the first device; and

sending an electromagnetic wave from the semiconductor device to the first device to feed an electric power to the battery of the first device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the battery of the semiconductor device is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.

5. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

communicating with a first device comprising a battery;

charging the battery of the semiconductor device by receiving an electromagnetic wave from the first device;

communicating with a second device comprising a battery; and

sending an electromagnetic wave from the semiconductor device to the second device to feed an electric power to the battery of the second device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the battery of the semiconductor device is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.

7. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

communicating with a first device comprising a battery to detect a voltage of the battery of the first device;

comparing a voltage of the battery of the semiconductor device with the voltage of the battery of the first device; and

deciding whether to charge the battery of the semiconductor device by receiving an electromagnetic wave from the first device or to send an electromagnetic wave from the semiconductor device to the first device to feed an electric power to the battery of the first device, in accordance with a result of the comparing.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the battery of the semiconductor device is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.

9. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

communicating with a first device comprising a battery to detect a voltage of the battery of the first device;

comparing a voltage of the battery of the semiconductor device with a predetermined voltage; and

comparing a voltage of the battery of the first device with the predetermined voltage,

wherein the battery of the semiconductor device is charged by receiving an electromagnetic wave from the first device if the voltage of the battery of the semiconductor device is lower than the predetermined voltage and the voltage of the battery of the first device is higher than the predetermined voltage, and

wherein the semiconductor device sends an electromagnetic wave to the first device to feed an electric power to the battery of the first device if the voltage of the battery of the semiconductor device is higher than the predetermined voltage and the voltage of the battery of the first device is lower than the predetermined voltage.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the battery of the semiconductor device is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.

11. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of an RFID tag, the method comprising:

charging the battery of the RFID tag by receiving an electromagnetic wave;

communicating with a first other RFID tag comprising a battery; and

sending an electromagnetic wave from the RFID tag to the first other RFID tag to feed an electric power to the battery of the first other RFID tag.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the battery of the RFID tag is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.

13. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of an RFID tag, the method comprising:

communicating with a first other RFID tag comprising a battery;

charging the battery of the RFID tag by receiving an electromagnetic wave from the first other RFID tag; and

sending an electromagnetic wave from the RFID tag to the first other RFID tag to feed an electric power to the battery of the first other RFID tag.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the battery of the RFID tag is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.

15. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of an RFID tag, the method comprising:

communicating with a first other RFID tag comprising a battery;

charging the battery of the RFID tag by receiving an electromagnetic wave from the first other RFID tag;

communicating with a second other RFID tag comprising a battery; and

sending an electromagnetic wave from the RFID tag to the second other RFID tag to feed an electric power to the battery of the second other RFID tag.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the battery of the RFID tag is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.

17. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of an RFID tag, the method comprising:

communicating with a first other RFID tag comprising a battery to detect a voltage of the battery of the first other RFID tag;

comparing a voltage of the battery of the RFID tag with the voltage of the battery of the first other RFID tag; and

deciding whether to charge the battery of the RFID tag by receiving an electromagnetic wave from the first other RFID tag or to send an electromagnetic wave from the RFID tag to the first other RFID tag to feed an electric power to the battery of the first other RFID tag, in accordance with a result of the comparing.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the battery of the RFID tag is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.

19. A method for managing an electric power in a battery of an RFID tag, the method comprising:

communicating with a first other RFID tag comprising a battery to detect a voltage of the battery of the first other RFID tag;

comparing a voltage of the battery of the RFID tag with a predetermined voltage; and

comparing a voltage of the battery of the first other RFID tag with the predetermined voltage,

wherein the battery of the RFID tag is charged by receiving an electromagnetic wave from the first other RFID tag if the voltage of the battery of the RFID tag is lower than the predetermined voltage and the voltage of the battery of the first other RFID tag is higher than the predetermined voltage, and

wherein the RFID tag sends an electromagnetic wave to the first other RFID tag to feed an electric power to the battery of the first other RFID tag if the voltage of the battery of the RFID tag is higher than the predetermined voltage and the voltage of the battery of the first other RFID tag is lower than the predetermined voltage.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the battery of the RFID tag is any one of a lithium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery and a double-layer electrolytic capacitor.