Integrated circuit providing an external switching functionality

• US 9,058,549 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Hilgers, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US11/910,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20080272893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,373 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/10.1, 340/10.5, 340/539.1, 340/825.69, 340/10.41, 340/69, 340/72, 235/435, 235/436, 324537-555, 324/500, 324/763, 324/765, 702/117, 702/122, 714/46, 714/733, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated circuit (30) comprising a logic circuit (42) and reception means (34) for receiving external signals and for transmitting said received external signals to said logic circuit (42), and it relates to a device coupled to such an integrated circuit and to methods for manufacturing and operating such an integrated circuit and for transmitting control data to a device. In order to provide such an integrated circuit (30) for an extended functionality in comparison with conventional transponders, an integrated circuit (30) comprising a logic circuit (42); at least two external contacts (44a, 44b), switching means (46) connecting said logic circuit (42) to said external contacts (44a, 44b) and reception means (34) for receiving external signals and for transmitting said received external signals to said logic circuit (42) is proposed, wherein said integrated circuit (30) is operable in a first operation mode for providing a switching functionality—through said external contacts (44a, 44b) by said switching means (46) for switching an electrical connection between said external contacts (44a, 44b), wherein said switching means (46) are controlled by said logic circuit (42) in response to said received external signals. Further, a corresponding device coupled to such an integrated circuit (30) and corresponding methods for manufacturing and operating such an integrated circuit (30) and for transmitting control data to a device are proposed.

Claims

1. Integrated circuit comprising:

a logic circuit;

at least two external contacts;

a switching circuit connecting said logic circuit to said external contacts; and

a reception circuit configured to receive external signals and transmit said received external signals to said logic circuit,

wherein in a first operation mode said integrated circuit is configured to provide a switching functionality through said external contacts by said switching circuit configured to switch an electrical connection between said external contacts, wherein said switching circuit is controlled by said logic circuit in response to said received external signals, and wherein said switching circuit includes a transistor, a microelectromechanical switch and/or a piezoelectric microelectromechanical switch.

4. Integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising identification means including a unique identifier, being unique relative to a plurality of other integrated circuits defined according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuit controls said switching circuit in response only to received external signals which correspond to said unique identifier.

5. Integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reception circuit is configured to receive electromagnetic signals, in particular radio frequency signals.

10. Device coupled to an integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1, the device comprising function circuitry connected to said external contacts of said integrated circuit and is controlled by said integrated circuit using said switching circuit in said first operation mode.

11. Device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising an output detection circuit configured to detect a sequence of switching operations forming a code signal.

12. Device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a signal circuit configured to apply an electronic signal to said external contacts.

2. Integrated circuit comprising:

a logic circuit;

at least two external contacts;

a switching circuit connecting said logic circuit to said external contacts; and

a reception circuit configured to receive external signals and transmit said received external signals to said logic circuit,

wherein in a first operation mode said integrated circuit is configured to provide a switching functionality through said external contacts by said switching circuit configured to switch an electrical connection between said external contacts, wherein said switching circuit is controlled by said logic circuit in response to said received external signals, and further comprising a mode altering circuit configured to alternate between at least two operation modes of said integrated circuit, wherein a second operation mode is provided for performing a functionality test of said integrated circuit using said external contacts.

3. Integrated circuit comprising:

a logic circuit;

at least two external contacts;

a switching circuit connecting said logic circuit to said external contacts; and

a reception circuit configured to receive external signals and transmit said received external signals to said logic circuit,

wherein in a first operation mode said integrated circuit is configured to provide a switching functionality through said external contacts by said switching circuit configured to switch an electrical connection between said external contacts, wherein said switching circuit is controlled by said logic circuit in response to said received external signals, and wherein said reception circuit is configured to provide a power supply for said integrated circuit utilizing energy from said external signals.

6. Integrated circuit comprising:

a logic circuit;

at least two external contacts;

a switching circuit connecting said logic circuit to said external contacts; and

a reception circuit configured to receive external signals and transmit said received external signals to said logic circuit,

wherein in a first operation mode said integrated circuit is configured to provide a switching functionality through said external contacts by said switching circuit configured to switch an electrical connection between said external contacts, wherein said switching circuit is controlled by said logic circuit in response to said received external signals, and wherein said logic circuit includes a coding circuit configured to control said switching circuit for a sequence of switching operations in order to generate a code signal.

7. Integrated circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said generated code signal is a binary signal or an analog signal.

8. Integrated circuit comprising:

a logic circuit;

at least two external contacts;

a switching circuit connecting said logic circuit to said external contacts; and

a reception circuit configured to receive external signals and transmit said received external signals to said logic circuit,

wherein in a first operation mode said integrated circuit is configured to provide a switching functionality through said external contacts by said switching circuit configured to switch an electrical connection between said external contacts, wherein said switching circuit is controlled by said logic circuit in response to said received external signals, and wherein said logic circuit includes an input detection circuit configured to detect an external electronic signal applied to said external contacts.

9. Integrated circuit comprising:

a logic circuit;

at least two external contacts;

a switching circuit connecting said logic circuit to said external contacts; and

a reception circuit configured to receive external signals and transmit said received external signals to said logic circuit,

wherein in a first operation mode said integrated circuit is configured to provide a switching functionality through said external contacts by said switching circuit configured to switch an electrical connection between said external contacts, wherein said switching circuit is controlled by said logic circuit in response to said received external signals, and wherein said integrated circuit is part of a radio frequency identification transponder.

13. Method for operating an integrated circuit including a logic circuit, at least two external contacts, switching circuit connecting said logic circuit to said external contacts and reception circuit configured to receive external signals and transmit said received external signals to said logic circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first operation mode for providing a switching functionality through said external contacts by said switching circuit,

receiving said external signals and transmitting said external signals to said logic circuit by using said reception circuit, and controlling said switching circuit by said logic circuit in response to said received external signals.

14. Method for manufacturing an integrated circuit including a logic circuit, at least two external contacts, switching circuit connecting said logic circuit to said external contacts configured to receive external signals and transmit said received external signals to said logic circuit and mode altering circuit for alternating between at least two operation modes of said integrated circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

producing said integrated circuit being in a second operation mode,

testing said logic circuit via said external contacts, and

altering said integrated circuit to a first operation mode, wherein said logic circuit is configured to control said switching circuit to provide a switching functionality through said external contacts in said first operation mode of said integrated circuit in response to said received external signals.