Communication devices with integrated thermal sensing circuit and methods for use therewith

• US 8,433,256 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US13/437,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20120189038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 455/77, 455/73, 455/254, 455/252.1, 455/522, 455/127.1, 455/76, 455/87, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/39, 455/120, 455/125, 455/130, 455/160.1, 455/169.1, 455/173.1, 455/178.1, 455/191.1
• US Class Current: 455/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• 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 communication device includes an integrated circuit having an on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the integrated circuit. A processing module processes the temperature signal to generate temperature information that can be transmitted to a remote device or processes the temperature signal to generate control for adjusting transmit and/or receive characteristics of an RF transceiver.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the wireless communication device; and

a processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream, to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data, and to generate a control signal based on the temperature indicated by the temperature signal;

an RF transceiver section, coupled to generate an outbound RF signal from the outbound symbol stream and to generate the inbound symbol stream from an inbound RF signal, wherein the RF transceiver section tunes an RF transceiver parameter based on the control signal to adjust the RF transceiver, wherein the RF transceiver parameter includes a receiver sensitivity; and

an antenna structure coupled to receive the inbound RF signal and to transmit the outbound RF signal.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the RF transceiver parameter further includes at least one of, a transmit power level and a protocol parameter selection.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the RF transceiver section operates in accordance with at least one of:

an IEEE 802.11 protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) protocol, a WIMAX protocol, a Global System for Mobile Communications protocol, a General Packet Radio Service protocol, and an Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution protocol.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the RF transceiver parameter further includes at least one of one of, an in-air beamforming phase, a diversity antenna selection, and a polarization antenna selection.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the antenna structure includes one of, a diversity antenna structure, a polarized antenna structure, as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna structure, as a single-input single-output (SISO) antenna structure and wherein the antenna structure modifies an antenna configuration based on the control signal.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the on-chip thermal sensing circuit includes one of:

a resistive thermal detector;

a thermocouple;

a silicon bandgap thermal sensor; and

a cantilever beam capacitive thermal sensor.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the RF transceiver section tunes the RF transceiver parameter based on the control signal to regulate the receiver sensitivity based on the temperature indicated by the temperature signal.

7. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the integrated circuit; and

a processing module coupled to process a temperature signal, to convert outbound data into the outbound symbol stream, to convert the inbound symbol stream into inbound data, and to generate a control signal based on the temperature indicated by the temperature signal; and

an RF transceiver section, coupled to generate an outbound RF signal from the outbound symbol stream and to generate the inbound symbol stream from an inbound RF signal, wherein the RF transceiver section tunes an RF transceiver parameter based on the control signal to adjust the RF transceiver, wherein the RF transceiver parameter includes a receiver sensitivity.

8. The IC of claim 7 wherein the wherein the RF transceiver parameter further includes at least one of, a transmit power level and a protocol parameter selection.

9. The IC of claim 7 wherein the RF transceiver section operates in accordance with at least one of:

an IEEE 802.11 protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) protocol, a WIMAX protocol, a Global System for Mobile Communications protocol, a General Packet Radio Service protocol, and an Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution protocol.

10. The IC of claim 7 wherein the RF transceiver parameter further includes at least one of one of, an in-air beamforming phase, a diversity antenna selection, and a polarization antenna selection.

11. The IC of claim 7 wherein the RF transceiver parameter further includes an antenna configuration of an antenna structure, and wherein the antenna configuration includes one of, a diversity antenna configuration, a polarized antenna configuration, as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna configuration, and a single-input single-output (SISO) antenna configuration.

12. The IC of claim 7 wherein the on-chip thermal sensing circuit includes one of:

a resistive thermal detector;

a thermocouple;

a silicon bandgap thermal sensor; and

a cantilever beam capacitive thermal sensor.

19. The IC of claim 7 wherein the RF transceiver section tunes the RF transceiver parameter based on the control signal to regulate the receiver sensitivity based on the temperature indicated by the temperature signal.

13. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

a on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the integrated circuit; and

a processing module coupled to process a temperature signal, to convert outbound data into the outbound symbol stream, to convert the inbound symbol stream into inbound data, and to generate a control signal based on the temperature indicated by the temperature signal; and

an RF transceiver section, coupled to generate an outbound RF signal from the outbound symbol stream and to generate the inbound symbol stream from an inbound RF signal, wherein the RF transceiver section tunes an RF transceiver parameter based on the control signal to adjust the RF transceiver, wherein the RF transceiver parameter includes a receiver sensitivity;

wherein the RF transceiver section operates in accordance with at least one of;

an IEEE 802.11 protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) protocol, a WIMAX protocol, a Global System for Mobile Communications protocol, a General Packet Radio Service protocol, and an Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution protocol.

14. The IC of claim 13 wherein the control signal further indicates at least one of, a transmit power level and a protocol parameter selection.

15. The IC of claim 13 wherein the control signal further indicates at least one of one of, an in-air beamforming phase, a diversity antenna selection, and a polarization antenna selection.

16. The IC of claim 13 wherein the control signal further indicates an antenna configuration of an antenna structure, and wherein the antenna configuration includes one of, a diversity antenna configuration, a polarized antenna configuration, as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna configuration, and a single-input single-output (SISO) antenna configuration.

17. The IC of claim 13 wherein the on-chip thermal sensing circuit includes one of:

a resistive thermal detector;

a thermocouple;

a silicon bandgap thermal sensor; and

a cantilever beam capacitive thermal sensor.

20. The IC of claim 13 wherein the RF transceiver section tunes the RF transceiver parameter based on the control signal to regulate the receiver sensitivity based on the temperature indicated by the temperature signal.