Apparatus and method of resetting an electric device

• US 6,081,047 A
• Filed: 11/13/1997
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Tuttle, Mark E., Trosper, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): FLEMING, FRITZ M
• Application Number:
  US08/969,626
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 307/112, 307/116, 307/125, 307/126, 307/130, 307/131, 307/139, 307/140, 307/141.1, 307/150, 323/265, 323/271, 323/273, 323/274, 323/283, 323/284, 327/419, 395/750.01, 395/750.02, 713/300, 713/310
• US Class Current: 307/125
• 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: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method of resetting an electric device. One method according to the present invention includes providing an electrical device including a power supply and an electrical component; providing an interconnect; electrically coupling the power supply and the electrical component using the interconnect; shorting the power supply of the electrical device following the coupling; removing the short; and applying power from the power supply to the electrical component via the interconnect. Another method according to the present invention includes providing a substrate; supporting a power supply using the substrate; supporting an electrical component using the substrate; coupling the power supply and the electrical component using an interconnect; temporarily shorting the power supply; and applying power via the interconnect to the electrical component using the power supply.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to reset an electrical device having a power supply comprising:

plural electrodes configured for electrical engagement with plural terminals of a power supply of an electrical device;

a switch having plural power terminals and a control terminal, the power terminals being electrically coupled with the electrodes and the control terminal being operable to receive a control signal, the switch being configured to electrically connect the power terminals and short the power supply responsive to the control signal; and

a controller configured to generate the control signal and apply the control signal to the switch.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a multivibrator.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an indicator operable to indicate the shorting of the power supply.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the controller comprises a first multivibrator configured to output the control signal to momentarily short the power supply and a second multivibrator configured to apply an indication signal to the indicator responsive to the outputting of the control signal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller includes discrete components operable to control the length of time of the shorting of the power supply.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the electrodes comprise spring-loaded electrodes.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the switch is operable to momentarily short the power supply.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the switch comprises a transistor.

9. A method of resetting an electrical device comprising:

providing an electrical device including a power supply and an electrical component;

providing an interconnect;

electrically coupling the power supply and the electrical component using the interconnect;

shorting the power supply of the electrical device following the coupling;

removing the short; and

applying power from the power supply to the electrical component via the interconnect.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the applying power comprises ramping an output of the power supply.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising controlling the ramping.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein the electrically coupling comprises rendering the interconnect electrically conductive.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the interconnect comprises a conductive epoxy and the rendering comprises curing the conductive epoxy.

14. The method according to claim 9 further comprising indicating the shorting.

15. The method according to claim 9 further comprising controlling a length of time of the shorting.

16. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

providing a reset device; and

electrically coupling the reset device with the power supply.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the shorting is responsive to the electrically coupling of the reset device.

18. The method according to claim 9 wherein the electrical component comprises an integrated circuit and the shorting resets the integrated circuit.

19. The method according to claim 9 wherein the shorting and removing comprise shorting and removing using a switch.

20. A method comprising:

providing a substrate;

supporting a power supply using the substrate;

supporting an electrical component using the substrate;

coupling the power supply and the electrical component using an interconnect;

temporarily shorting the power supply; and

applying power via the interconnect to the electrical component using the power supply.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein the providing comprises providing a flexible substrate.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the applying power comprises ramping an output of the power supply.

23. The method according to claim 22 further comprising controlling the ramping.

24. The method according to claim 20 wherein the interconnect comprises a conductive adhesive.

25. The method according to claim 24 further comprising rendering the interconnect conductive.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the rendering comprises curing the conductive adhesive.

27. The method according to claim 20 further comprising indicating the shorting.

28. The method according to claim 20 further comprising encapsulating the substrate, power supply and electrical component.

29. The method according to claim 20 wherein the electrical component comprises an integrated circuit and the shorting resets the integrated circuit.

30. The method according to claim 20 further comprising:

providing a reset device; and

electrically coupling the reset device with the power supply.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the shorting is responsive to the electrically coupling of the reset device.

32. The method according to claim 20 wherein the temporarily shorting comprises shorting using a switch.

33. A method comprising:

providing a substrate;

supporting a power supply using the substrate;

coupling an electrical component with the power supply using an adhesive;

curing the adhesive;

shorting the power supply; and

conducting electricity using the cured adhesive following the shorting.

34. The method according to claim 33 wherein the conducting comprises applying electricity to the electrical component from the power supply.

35. The method according to claim 34 wherein the applying comprises ramping an output of the power supply.

36. The method according to claim 35 further comprising controlling the ramping of the output of the power supply.

37. The method according to claim 33 further comprising rendering the adhesive conductive during the curing.

38. The method according to claim 33 further comprising indicating the shorting.

39. The method according to claim 33 further comprising encapsulating the substrate, electrical component, and power supply.

40. The method according to claim 33 wherein the shorting comprises shorting the power supply for a selected period of time.

41. The method according to claim 33 wherein the electrical component comprises an integrated circuit and the shorting resets the integrated circuit.

42. The method according to claim 33 further comprising:

providing a reset device; and

electrically coupling the reset device with the power supply.

43. The method according to claim 42 wherein the shorting is responsive to the electrically coupling of the reset device.

44. The method according to claim 33 wherein the shorting comprises shorting using a switch.

45. A method comprising:

forming a conductive pattern upon a substrate;

electrically coupling an integrated circuit with the conductive pattern;

electrically coupling a power supply having a power terminal and a ground terminal with the conductive pattern;

electrically coupling a reset device with the power terminal and the ground terminal of the power supply;

shorting the power terminal and the ground terminal of the power supply using the reset device; and

applying electricity to the integrated circuit following the shorting.

46. The method according to claim 45 wherein the shorting comprises connecting the power terminal and the ground terminal for a selected period of time.

47. The method according to claim 45 wherein the applying comprises ramping an output of the power supply following the shorting.

48. The method according to claim 47 further comprising controlling the ramping using the reset device.

49. The method according to claim 45 wherein the integrated circuit includes a transponder.

50. The method according to claim 45 wherein the reset device comprises a multivibrator and a transistor and electricity from the power supply is provided to an input of the multivibrator.

51. The method according to claim 50 wherein the output of the multivibrator is operable to control the transistor.

52. The method according to claim 45 wherein the reset device further comprises a plurality of discrete components selected to provide shorting of the power supply for a predetermined period of time.

53. The method according to claim 45 wherein the shorting is responsive to the coupling of the reset device with the power terminal and ground terminal of the power supply.

54. The method according to claim 45 wherein the shorting resets the integrated circuit.

55. The method according to claim 45 further comprising encapsulating the integrated circuit, power supply and at least a portion of the support surface.

56. The method according to claim 45 wherein the shorting is responsive to the electrically coupling of the reset device.

57. A method of forming a remote intelligent communication device comprising:

forming a conductive pattern upon a support surface of a flexible substrate;

electrically coupling an integrated circuit with the conductive pattern, the integrated circuit including a transponder, microprocessor and memory in cooperation with one another;

coupling a power supply having a power electrode and a ground electrode with the conductive pattern using an epoxy;

curing the epoxy providing electrical connection of the power supply with the conductive pattern;

electrically coupling a reset device with the power terminal and the ground terminal of the power supply, the reset device comprising a transistor having a control terminal coupled with a multivibrator and plural power terminals individually coupled with one of the power electrode and the ground electrode, the multivibrator being operable to apply a control signal to the control terminal of the transistor responsive to the coupling of the reset device and the power supply;

shorting the power electrode and the ground electrode of the power supply using the reset device;

resetting the integrated circuit responsive to the shorting;

applying electricity to the transponder, microprocessor, and memory following the shorting, the applying including ramping an output of the power supply;

controlling the ramping; and

encapsulating the integrated circuit, power supply and at least a portion of the support surface.