Communications system and method with A/D converter
First Claim
1. A communications system comprising:
- an integrated circuit including a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, the integrated circuit having a digital input, and the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator; and
an analog to digital converter external of the integrate circuit die and having a digital output coupled to the digital input of the integrated circuit, and having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog measuring device, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to transmit a signal indicative of the analog input using the backscatter transmitter.
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Accused Products
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 input, and the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator; and an analog to digital converter external of the single die and having a digital output coupled to the digital input of the integrated circuit, and having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog measuring device, wherein the radio frequency identification device is configured to transmit a signal indicative of the analog input using the backscatter transmitter. A communications method including coupling an analog to digital converter to a radio frequency identification device.
20 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A communications system comprising:
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an integrated circuit including a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, the integrated circuit having a digital input, and the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator; and
an analog to digital converter external of the integrate circuit die and having a digital output coupled to the digital input of the integrated circuit, and having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog measuring device, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to transmit a signal indicative of the analog input using the backscatter transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A communications system comprising:
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a radio frequency identification device including an integrated circuit having a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, the integrated circuit having a digital input, the receiver being configured to receive wireless communications from a remote interrogator; and
an analog to digital converter external of the integrated circuit and having a digital output coupled to the digital input of the integrated circuit, having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog device, and having a chip select input which is configured to initiate, when triggered, an analog to digital conversion, wherein the radio frequency identification device is configured to transmit a signal indicative of the analog input using 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. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A communications system comprising:
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an integrated circuit having a single die including a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, the integrated circuit having a digital input, the receiver being configured to receive wireless commands from a remote interrogator;
an analog to digital converter external of the single die an having a digital output coupled to the digital input of the integrated circuit, having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog device, and having a chip select input which is configured to initiate, when triggered, an analog to digital conversion, wherein the radio frequency identification device is configured to transmit a digital signal indicative of the analog input using the backscatter transmitter, 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; and
a binary counter coupled between the wakeup output an the chip select input. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A communications system for use with a remote interrogator, the system comprising:
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a wireless communication device including;
a substrate;
a 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 input coupled to the processor, the transmitter being configured to transmit in response to the receiver receiving a carrier signal from an interrogator; and
a power source electrically coupled to the integrated circuit and configured to generate operating power for the communications device; and
an analog to digital converter external of the integrated circuit and having a digital output coupled to the digital input of the integrated circuit, having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog voltage, and having a chip select input configured to initiate an analog to digital conversion when triggered, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to transmit a digital signal indicative of the analog input using the backscatter transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A communications method comprising:
coupling an analog to digital converter to an integrated circuit having a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, the integrated circuit having a digital input, and the receiver being configured to receive wireless communication from a remote interrogator, the analog to digital converter having a digital output and having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog measuring device, the coupling of the analog to digital converter to the integrated circuit comprising coupling the digital output of the analog to digital converter to the digital input of the integrated circuit. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A communications method comprising:
coupling an analog to digital converter to a radio frequency identification device of a type including an integrated circuit having a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, the integrated circuit having a digital input, 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 analog to digital converter having a digital output, having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog device, and having a chip select input which is configured to initiate, when triggered, an analog to digital conversion, the coupling of the analog to digital converter to the radio frequency identification device comprising coupling the digital output of the analog to digital converter to the digital input of the integrated circuit and coupling the chip select input to the wakeup output. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A communications method comprising:
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coupling an analog to digital converter to an integrated circuit having a single die including a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, and a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, the integrated circuit having a digital input, 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 analog to digital converter having a digital output, having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog device, and having a chip select input which is configured to initiate, when triggered, an analog to digital conversion, the coupling of the analog to digital converter to the integrated circuit comprising coupling the digital output of the analog to digital converter to the digital input of the integrated circuit and coupling the chip select input to the wakeup output; and
causing the integrated circuit to receive, from the analog to digital converter, multiple conversions from analog to digital per trigger signal. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of manufacturing and using a communications system with a remote interrogator unit, the method comprising:
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supporting a semiconductor integrated circuit from substrate, the integrated circuit including a processor, a receiver coupled to the processor, a backscatter transmitter coupled to the processor, a wakeup output configured to produce a trigger signal in response to the receiver receiving a wireless communication, and a digital input coupled to the processor, the transmitter being configured to transmit in response to the receiver receiving a carrier signal from an interrogator; and
electrically coupling a power source to the integrated circuit to supply operating power to the integrated circuit; and
coupling an analog to digital converter to the integrated circuit, the analog to digital converter having a digital output, having an analog input configured to be coupled to an analog voltage, and having a chip select input which, when triggered, initiates an analog to digital conversion, the coupling of the analog to digital converter to the integrated circuit comprising coupling the digital output to the digital input. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method comprising:
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measuring a parameter with a transducer to produce a signal indicative of the magnitude of the parameter;
converting the signal to a digital value;
reading the digital value with a digital input of a wireless communications device 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; and
transmitting the digital value to a remote interrogator using the backscatter transmitter by modulating onto a carrier transmitted by the interrogator.
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Specification