Systems and methods for self-calibration

• US 7,209,013 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Secure Axcess LLC (Prism Technologies Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gallitzin Allegheny LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Dominik J., Norman, Robert D
• Primary Examiner(s): MIS, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US11/359,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20060194561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 331 65- 66, 331 69- 70, 331175-176, 331185-186, 375/259, 455/73, 455/75, 455/76
• US Class Current: 331/65
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/00 Testing or calibrating of thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/00 Stabilisation of generator output against variations of physical values, e.g. power supply
• 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 self-calibrating integrated circuit includes a processor having at least one analog function used with the processor; one or more sensors adapted to sense one or more environmental parameters of the at least one analog function; and a solid state memory being configured to store the one or more environmental parameters of the at least one analog function.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a digital portion including a processor;

an analog portion including a radio frequency circuit configured to communicate radio frequency data;

a plurality of sensors configured to sense environmental parameters;

a memory configured to store self-calibration data; and

wherein the processor is configured to adjust a portion of the integrated circuit based on the sensed environmental parameters.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a multiplexer configured to provide an output of the plurality of sensors to the processor.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 2, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter coupled between the multiplexer and the processor.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 3, further comprising an oscillator coupled to the radio frequency circuit.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the oscillator based on the sensed environmental parameters.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the environmental parameters include at least one of temperature and supply voltage.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors includes one or more hot-electron sensors.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising one or more hot-electron generators.

9. A method comprising:

sensing at least one environmental parameter associated with a semiconductor device via at least one sensor on the semiconductor device, wherein the semiconductor device includes an analog portion including a radio frequency circuit configured to communicate radio frequency data and a digital portion; and

controlling a clock frequency of the semiconductor device based on the sensed at least one environmental parameter.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising comparing the sensed at least one environmental parameter to a predetermined value for the at least one environmental parameter stored in a memory.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting the clock frequency using an oscillator of the semiconductor device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing the at least one environmental parameter comprises sensing a hot-electron effect of the semiconductor device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting a temperature of the semiconductor device if a sensed temperature is below a predetermined value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting the temperature via one or more heaters of the semiconductor device.

15. A system comprising:

a processor;

a radio frequency circuit coupled to the processor;

an oscillator coupled to the processor and the radio frequency circuit, the oscillator having a frequency controllable by the processor based on analysis of one or more environmental parameters; and

a plurality of sensors configured to sense the one or more environmental parameters, wherein at least one of the sensors comprises a hot-electron sensor.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a memory configured to store information regarding the one or more environmental parameters.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to send calibration signals to sources of the one or more environmental parameters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to average outputs of a subset of the plurality of sensors.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory is configured to store self-calibration data for the oscillator, the self-calibration data obtained during testing.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to predict changes to the one or more environmental parameters based on historical data.