Electronic device with ID tag, central processing unit with ID tag, and ID tag for electronic device

• US 6,873,259 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Teraura, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/230,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20030042316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/5.61, 340/5.65, 235/375, 235/376, 235/491, 235/492, 343/702, 343/728, 361/683
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication

Abstract

An ID tag in an electronic device with a CPU and an antenna coil can communicate with the CPU through signal lines to store operation record data of the electronic device in a non-volatile memory therein. The record data is readable by a reader writer by transmission of the data with the antenna coil. A CPU including a semiconductor chip including a central processing unit portion, an ID tag portion can be used in an electronic device to store and read the operation record data. An ID tag for an electronic device has a communication circuit for communicating with a CPU for the electronic device to store operation record data of the electronic device from the CPU. The ID tag can store ticket data in a telephone to use as a ticket. The ID tags in electronic devices can record payment data for preventing illegal use.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling said electronic device;

a signal line; and

an ID tag having a communication circuit for communicating with said central processing unit through said signal line and a non-volatile memory for storing data from said central processing unit, said central processing unit obtaining operation record data of said electronic device and storing said operation record in said non-volatile memory as said data, wherein

said non-volatile memory has a manufacturing data area and an operating time data area, and manufacturing data regarding said electronic device has been stored at said manufacturing data area of said non-volatile memory in a manufacturing process of said electronic device.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of units, wherein said manufacturing data includes data of a body of said electronic device and said units regarding structure, materials, and scraping processes.

3. An electronic device comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling said electronic device;

a signal line;

an ID tag having a communication circuit for communicating with said central processing unit through said signal line and a non-volatile memory for storing data from said central processing unit, said central processing unit obtaining operation record data of said electronic device and storing said operation record in said non-volatile memory as said data; and

a plurality of units, wherein said central processing unit obtains operating time data of said electronic device and operating time data of said units, and wherein said central processing unit stores a predetermined part of said operating time data of said electronic device and said units in said non-volatile memory.

4. A central processing unit for an electronic device comprising:

a substrate;

a central processing unit portion in a form of a semiconductor chip on said substrate for controlling said electronic device, said central processing unit portion having a memory storing an operation record data obtaining program for obtaining operation record data of said electronic device;

a signal line;

an ID tag semiconductor circuit coupled to said central processing unit portion with a non-volatile memory for communicating with said central processing unit portion through said signal line to store said operation record data from said central processing unit portion in said non-volatile memory;

an antenna coil on said substrate arranged around said central processing unit portion, a wireless communication circuit for wirelessly transmitting said data from said non-volatile memory through said antenna coil, and sealing plastic for sealing said antenna coil and semiconductor chip; and

terminals connectable to an external antenna coil and a switch connectable to said wireless communication circuit for using either of said antenna coil or said external antenna coil.

5. An electronic device comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling said electronic device;

a signal line;

an ID tag having a communication circuit for communicating with said central processing unit through said signal line and a non-volatile memory for storing data from said central processing unit, said ID tag including an antenna coil and a semiconductor circuit including said non-volatile memory, a read-write circuit for said non-volatile memory, a wireless communication circuit for wirelessly transmitting said data from said non-volatile memory through said antenna coil, and a power supply circuit for wirelessly receiving a supply power through said antenna coil to supply a power to said non-volatile memory, said read-write circuit, and said wireless communication circuit; and

a portable telephone circuit for receiving ticket data, wherein said central processing unit stores said ticket data in said ID tag when said portable telephone circuit receives said ticket data, and said central processing unit reads said ticket data from said ID tag and transmits said ticket data from said ID tag when said wireless communication circuit receives a predetermined reading request of said ticket data.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling said electronic device;

a signal line;

an ID tag having a communication circuit for communicating with said central processing unit through said signal line and a non-volatile memory for storing data from said central processing unit, wherein

said electronic device has a plurality of functions executed by said central processing unit, and said central processing unit reads said data from said ID tag and executes only a portion of said functions indicated by said data,

said central processing unit judges whether, in said data, there is a predetermined data indicating that the cost of said electronic device has been paid, and said central processing unit executes a specific one of said predetermined functions in the absence of said predetermined data; and

a power-on detection circuit and informing means, in response to said detected power-on, said central processing unit judges whether, in said data, there is a predetermined data indicating registered operator in said ID tag and requests for inputting identification data of an operator with said informing means in the presence of said predetermined data, and said central processing unit executes a specific operation, when said identification data is not inputted in response to said request, and when the inputted data does not correspond said predetermined data.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling said electronic device;

a signal line;

an ID tag having a communication circuit for communicating with said central processing unit through said signal line and a non-volatile memory for storing data from said central processing unit; and

communication means communicable with a network, wherein said ID tag stores an identification number of said electronic device, and said central processing unit judges whether, in said data, there is a predetermined data indicating that the cost of this electronic device has been paid, and said central processing unit reads said identification data of said electronic device and an address of a predetermined site and transmits said identification number to a predetermined site with said read address through said communication means and said network in the absence of said predetermined data.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising conditional data acquiring means for acquiring conditional data of said electronic device and said central processing unit transmits said conditional data together with said identification data in the absence of said predetermined data.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling said electronic device;

a signal line;

an ID tag having a communication circuit for communicating with said central processing unit through said signal line and a non-volatile memory for storing data from said central processing unit,

wherein said electronic device has a plurality of functions executed by said central processing unit, and said central processing unit reads said data from said ID tag and executes only a portion of said functions indicated by said data, and

said central processing unit judges whether, in said data, there is a predetermined data indicating that the cost of this electronic device has been paid, and said central processing unit executes a specific one of said predetermined functions in the absence of said predetermined data; and

a digital camera unit generating image data and an interface circuit communicable with a personal computer, wherein said central processing unit transmits a forwarding request to said personal computer as said one of said predetermined functions when said image data is transmitted to said personal computer through said interface circuit in the absence of said predetermined data in said ID tag to operate said personal computer to transmit said image data to a predetermined site if said personal computer has communication means for communicating with a network and communication with said network is possible.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling said electronic device;

a signal line;

an ID tag having a communication circuit for communicating with said central processing unit through said signal line and a non-volatile memory for storing data from said central processing unit,

wherein said electronic device has a plurality of functions executed by said central processing unit, and said central processing unit reads said data from said ID tag and executes only a portion of said functions indicated by said data, and

said central processing unit judges whether, in said data, there is a predetermined data indicating that the cost of this electronic device has been paid, and said central processing unit executes a specific one of said predetermined functions in the absence of said predetermined data; and

a printer unit outputting a printed image on a sheet of paper, wherein said central processing unit outputs said printed image indicating that the cost of this electronic device has not been paid as said one of predetermined function in the absence of said predetermined data.