Sensor device with flexible interface and updatable information store

• US 8,384,559 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Hong, William, Gokingco, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US12/849,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.39, 340/3.1, 340/3.3, 340/3.31, 340/3.32, 340/10.1, 340/10.34, 340/693.2, 340/693.3, 340/870.16, 340/870.07, 340/539.3, 702/150, 324/153
• US Class Current: 340/870.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/44 Electric circuits for command of an exposure part G03B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7803 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7835 using coding masks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4913 Circuits for detection, sampling, integration or read-out
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4972 Alignment of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/20 using multiple transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A sensor device includes an interface that receives a request. The sensor device includes an updatable information store that responds to the request if the request is directed to the updatable information store, the updatable information store being in a first power domain of the sensor device. The sensor device also includes a power manager that activates a sensor element in the sensor device in response to receiving the request if the request is a request for measurement of a parameter by the sensor element. The sensor element is in a second power domain of the sensor device. The sensor element communicates measured parameter information to the updatable information store.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an interface in a sensor device, a request;

responding to the request, by an updatable information store in the sensor device, if the request is directed to the updatable information store, the updatable information store being in a first power domain of the sensor device; and

activating, by a power manager in the sensor device, a sensor element in the sensor device in response to receiving the request if the request is a request for measurement of a parameter by the sensor element, the sensor element being in a second power domain of the sensor device, wherein the sensor element communicates measured parameter information to the updatable information store.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining, by the power manager, the sensor element in an inactive state if the request is other than a request for measurement of a parameter by the sensor element.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating configuration information in the updatable information store in response to a request received by the interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updatable information store is a remappable register store that includes configuration information for the sensor device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responding, by the updatable information store, to an auto-increment request by sending to the interface a block of data starting at an address included in the auto-increment request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by a controller, the sensor element under direction of a control program in a program memory; and

modifying, by the controller, the control program in response to updating configuration information in the updatable information store.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the modifying alters commands to which the sensor device responds thus effectively modifying the interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first power domain is an always accessible power domain and the second power domain is a sleep/active power domain.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to operate with an external bus from which the interface receives a clock signal that clocks the first power domain.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising clocking, by the external bus, the interface wherein the interface gates off the clock signal to other circuitry in the first power domain until the interface detects a bus transaction directed to the sensor device.

11. A sensor device, comprising:

an interface that receives requests;

an updatable information store, coupled to the interface, and situated in a first power domain, the updatable information store responding to a request if the request is directed to the updatable information store;

a sensor element, situated in a second power domain of the sensor device, that communicates measured parameter information to the updatable information store; and

a power manager that activates the second power domain in response to the request if the request is a request for measurement of a parameter by the sensor element.

12. The sensor device of claim 11, wherein the power manager maintains the sensor element in an inactive state if the request is other than a request for measurement of a parameter by the sensor element.

13. The sensor device of claim 11, wherein the sensor device updates configuration information in the updatable information store in response to a request received by the interface.

14. The sensor device of claim 11, wherein the updatable information store comprises a remappable register store that includes configuration information for the sensor device.

15. The sensor device of claim 14, wherein the updatable information store responds to an auto-increment request by sending to the interface a block of data starting at an address included in the auto-increment request.

16. The sensor device of claim 11, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the sensor element to control the sensor element under the direction of a control program, wherein the controller modifies the control program in response to updating configuration information in the updatable information store.

17. The sensor device of claim 16, wherein the controller alters commands to which the sensor device responds thus effectively modifying the interface.

18. The sensor device of claim 11, wherein the first power domain is an always accessible power domain and the second power domain is a sleep/active power domain.

19. The sensor device of claim 11, wherein the interface is configured to operate with an external bus from which the interface receives a clock signal that clocks the first power domain.

20. A system, comprising:

a host processor;

a bus, coupled to the host processor, that transports requests and information for the host processor; and

a sensor device, coupled to the bus, the sensor device including;

an interface that receives requests;

an updatable information store, coupled to the interface, and situated in a first power domain, the updatable information store responding to a request if the request is directed to the updatable information store;

a sensor element, situated in a second power domain of the sensor device, that communicates measured parameter information to the updatable information store; and

a power manager that activates the second power domain in response to receiving the request if the request is a request for measurement of a parameter by the sensor element.