Communications system and method with D/A converter

• US 6,137,422 A
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Hahn, Scott, Van Horn, Mark T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/316,329
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.46, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.31, 340/10.32, 340/10.33, 340/10.51, 340/10.5, 340/825.44, 340/572.1, 340/50 5, 700/290, 700/245, 701/2, 463/37-39, 341/176, 341/144
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface
• 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 communications system including a radio frequency identification device including an integrated circuit having a single die including a microprocessor, a receiver coupled to the microprocessor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the microprocessor, the integrated circuit having a digital output, and the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator; and a digital to analog converter external of the single die and having a digital input coupled to the digital output of the integrated circuit, and having an analog output configured to be coupled to an analog device. A communications method including coupling a digital to analog converter to a radio frequency identification device.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a radio frequency identification device including an integrated circuit having a single die including a microprocessor, a receiver coupled to the microprocessor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the microprocessor, the integrated circuit having a digital output, and the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator; and

a digital to analog converter external of the single die and having a digital input coupled to the digital output of the integrated circuit, and having an analog output configured to be coupled to an analog device, wherein the radio frequency identification device is configured to receive a digital wireless communication indicative of a desired analog value to be applied to the analog device from the backscatter transmitter.

2. A communications system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit is configured to provide at the digital output a digital value indicative of the received digital wireless communication, wherein digital to analog converter is configured to convert a digital value at the digital output of the integrated circuit to an analog value and to provide the analog value at the analog output of the digital to analog converter.

3. A communications system in accordance with claim 2 and further comprising a voltage regulator coupled to the digital to analog converter to supply regulated power to the digital to analog converter.

4. A communications system comprising:

a radio frequency identification device including an integrated circuit having a single die including a microprocessor, a receiver coupled to the microprocessor, a backscatter transmitter coupled to the microprocessor, the integrated circuit having a digital output, the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator; and

a digital to analog converter external of the single die and having a digital input coupled to the digital output of the integrated circuit, having an analog output configured to be coupled to an analog device, and having a chip select input which, in response to being triggered, enables a digital to analog conversion, wherein the radio frequency identification device is configured to receive a signal, indicative of a digital value to be applied to the digital to analog converter, from the backscatter transmitter, and wherein the integrated circuit has a wakeup output, coupled to the chip select input, at which a signal is produced configured to trigger the chip select input in response to the receiver receiving a wireless communication.

5. A communications system in accordance with claim 4 wherein, in response to the receiver receiving the signal indicative of a digital value to be applied to the digital input, the integrated circuit is configured to apply the digital value to the digital output and to provide a signal at the wakeup output.

6. A communications system in accordance with claim 4 wherein the digital to analog converter has a voltage supply input, and wherein the communications system further comprises a voltage regulator coupled to the voltage supply input.

7. A communications system comprising:

a radio frequency identification device including an integrated circuit having a single die including a microprocessor, a receiver coupled to the microprocessor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the microprocessor, the integrated circuit having a digital output, the receiver being configured to receive wireless commands from a remote interrogator;

a digital to analog converter external of the single die and having a digital input coupled to the digital output of the integrated circuit, having an analog output configured to be coupled to an analog device, and having a chip select input which, in response to being triggered, enables a digital to analog conversion, wherein the radio frequency identification device is configured to receive a digital RF command indicative of the desired analog output, and wherein the integrated circuit has a wakeup output at which a trigger signal is produced configured to trigger the chip select input in response to the receiver receiving a predetermined wireless command, wherein the digital RF command includes binary data to be transferred to the digital to analog converter, the data being shifted left prior to being transferred from the radio frequency identification device to the digital to analog converter.

8. A communications system in accordance with claim 7 wherein two bytes are transferred from the radio frequency identification device to the digital to analog converter per digital RF command indicative of the desired analog output.

9. A communications system in accordance with claim 8 wherein the two bytes transferred from the radio frequency identification device to the digital to analog converter include a first transferred bit which corresponds to a second bit latched by the digital to analog converter.

10. A communications system in accordance with claim 9 wherein the digital to analog converter ignores the first bit latched per RF digital command indicative of the desired analog output.

11. A communications system in accordance with claim 8 and further including an analog device having an input coupled to the analog output of the digital to analog converter.

12. A communications system in accordance with claim 7 and further comprising an analog control circuit coupled to the analog output.

13. A communications system for use with a remote interrogator, the system comprising:

a wireless communication device including;

a substrate;

a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit, supported by the substrate, including a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, and a digital output coupled to the microprocessor, the transmitter being configured to transmit in response to the receiver receiving a carrier signal from an interrogator; and

a battery, supported by the substrate, electrically coupled to the integrated circuit and configured to generate operating power for the communications device; and

a digital to analog converter external of the integrated circuit and having a digital input coupled to the digital output of the integrated circuit, having an analog output configured to be coupled to an analog device, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to receive via radio frequency a "write digital port" command from the interrogator, the command including digital data representative of an analog value desired to be applied to the analog device, the integrated circuit being configured to transfer the digital data to the digital to analog converter and the digital to analog converter being configured to produce an analog DC voltage, at the analog output, for the analog device.

14. A communications system in accordance with claim 13 and further comprising a voltage regulator coupled to the digital to analog converter to supply regulated power to the digital to analog converter.

15. A communications system in accordance with claim 14 wherein the digital to analog converter further includes a reference voltage input that is coupled to the voltage regulator.

16. A communications system in accordance with claim 15 and further comprising a variable voltage divider coupled between the reference voltage input and the voltage regulator.

17. A communications system in accordance with claim 14 and further comprising an analog device coupled to the analog output of the digital to analog converter.

18. A communications method comprising:

coupling a digital to analog converter to a radio frequency identification device of a type including an integrated circuit having a single die including a microprocessor, a receiver coupled to the microprocessor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the microprocessor, the integrated circuit having a digital output, and the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator, the digital to analog converter having a digital input and having an analog output configured to be coupled to an analog control circuit, the coupling of the digital to analog converter to the radio frequency identification device comprising coupling the digital input of the digital to analog converter to the digital output of the integrated circuit.

19. A communications method in accordance with claim 18 and further comprising providing, at the digital output of the integrated circuit a digital value indicative of the received digital wireless communication, converting, with the digital to analog converter, a digital value at the digital output of the integrated circuit to an analog value, and providing the analog value at the analog output of the digital to analog converter.

20. A communications method in accordance with claim 19 and further comprising supplying regulated power to the digital to analog converter, using a voltage regulator.

21. A communications method comprising:

coupling a digital to analog converter to a radio frequency identification device of a type including an integrated circuit having a single die including a microprocessor, a receiver coupled to the microprocessor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the microprocessor, the integrated circuit having a digital output, and having a wakeup output at which a signal is produced in response to the receiver receiving a wireless communication, and the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator, the digital to analog converter having a digital input, having an analog output configured to be coupled to an analog device, and having a chip select input which, in response to being triggered, enables a digital to analog conversion, the coupling of the digital to analog converter to the radio frequency identification device comprising coupling the digital input of the digital to analog converter to the digital output of the integrated circuit and coupling the chip select input to the wakeup output.

22. A communications method in accordance with claim 21 and further comprising providing, with the integrated circuit, a signal at the wakeup output, and reading, with the digital to analog converter, the digital input, in response to the receiver receiving a "write digital port" command.

23. A communications method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the digital to analog converter has a voltage supply input, and wherein the communications method further comprises coupling a voltage regulator to the voltage supply input.

24. A communications method comprising:

coupling a digital to analog converter to a radio frequency identification device of a type including an integrated circuit having a single die including a microprocessor, a receiver coupled to the microprocessor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the microprocessor, the integrated circuit having a digital input, and the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator, including a wireless "write digital port" command which includes digital data to be transferred to the digital output, the digital to analog converter having a digital input, having an analog output configured to be coupled to an analog device, the coupling of the analog to digital converter to the radio frequency identification device comprising coupling the digital input of the digital to analog converter to the digital output of the integrated circuit; and

causing the digital to analog converter to perform multiple conversions from digital to analog per "write digital port" command.

25. A communications method in accordance with claim 24 wherein the "write digital port" command includes binary data to be transferred to the digital to analog converter, and wherein causing the digital to analog converter to perform multiple conversions from digital to analog per "write digital port" command comprises shifting the binary data left prior to transmission from the interrogator to the integrated circuit.

26. A communications method in accordance with claim 24 wherein two bytes are transferred from the radio frequency identification device to the digital to analog converter per "write digital port" command.

27. A communications method in accordance with claim 26 wherein the two bytes transferred from the radio frequency identification device to the digital to analog converter include a first transferred bit which corresponds to a second bit latched by the digital to analog converter.

28. A communications method in accordance with claim 27 wherein the digital to analog converter ignores the first bit latched per "write digital port" command.

29. A communications method in accordance with claim 24 and further comprising coupling the analog output of the digital to analog converter to an analog input of an analog device.

30. A method of manufacturing and using a communications system with a remote interrogator unit, the method comprising:

supporting a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit from a substrate, the integrated circuit being of a type including a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, a wakeup output configured to produce a wakeup signal in response to the receiver receiving a wireless communication, and a digital output coupled to the microprocessor, the transmitter being configured to transmit in response to the receiver receiving a carrier signal from an interrogator;

supporting a battery from the substrate, and electrically coupling the battery to the integrated circuit to supply operating power to the integrated circuit;

coupling a digital to analog converter to the integrated circuit, the digital to analog converter having a digital input, having an analog output configured to be coupled to an analog control circuit, and having a chip select input which, in response to being triggered, enables a digital to analog conversion, the coupling of the digital to analog converter to the integrated circuit comprising coupling the digital output to the digital input;

coupling the wakeup output to the chip select input; and

transmitting a digital wireless command from a remote interrogator unit to the integrated circuit, the command including digital data representative of a desired analog voltage;

transferring the digital data from the integrated circuit to the digital to analog converter; and

providing an analog voltage at the analog output of the digital to analog converter representative of the digital data.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30 and further comprising supplying power to the digital to analog converter from a regulated voltage source.

32. A method in accordance with claim 31 wherein the digital to analog converter further includes a reference voltage input that is coupled to the regulated voltage source.

33. A method in accordance with claim 32 and further comprising coupling a variable voltage divider between the reference voltage input and the voltage regulator.

34. A method in accordance with claim 30 wherein the digital to analog converter performs multiple conversions per digital command.

35. A method in accordance with claim 30 and further comprising an analog device coupled to the analog output of the digital to analog converter.

36. A method comprising:

determining a desired analog voltage for controlling an analog process;

transmitting a digital value representative of the desired analog voltage via radio frequency;

receiving the digital value with a receiver of a wireless communications device of the type having an integrated circuit including a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, the transmitter being configured to transmit in response to the receiver receiving a carrier signal from an interrogator;

transferring the digital value to a digital to analog converter external of the wireless communications device;

converting the digital value to an analog voltage using the digital to analog converter; and

controlling an analog process using the analog voltage.