Extremely high frequency communication chip

• US 9,553,616 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Keyssa, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D., Kyles, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US14/215,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/78, 455/79, 455/84, 455/102, 455/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication

Abstract

An electromagnetic Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communication chip includes one or more local oscillator circuits, a transducer circuit and at least one of a modulator or a demodulator coupled to the transducer circuit. Each of the local oscillator circuits may have a local oscillator and configured collectively to generate first and second carrier signals having respective first and second EHF frequencies. The first EHF frequency may be different than the second EHF frequency. The transducer circuit may have a first transducer for transmitting and receiving EHF communication signals. The modulator may be coupled to the local oscillator circuits for modulating the first carrier signal or the second carrier signal with a first transmit base data signal. The demodulator may be for demodulating the first carrier signal or the second carrier signal to produce a first receive base data signal.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communication chip comprising:

one or more local oscillator circuits each having a local oscillator, the one or more local oscillator circuits being configured collectively to generate at least first and second carrier signals having respective first and second EHF frequencies, the first EHF frequency being different than the second EHF frequency,

a transducer circuit having at least a first transducer, for transmitting, receiving, or both transmitting and receiving EHF communication signals having the first EHF frequency or the second EHF frequency;

at least one of a modulator or a demodulator coupled to the transducer circuit, the modulator being coupled to the one or more local oscillator circuits for modulating with a first transmit base data signal the first carrier signal or the second carrier signal, and the demodulator for demodulating the first carrier signal or the second carrier signal to produce a first receive base data signal; and

a controller circuit configured to generate signals to control one or more components of the electromagnetic EHF communication chip and communicate associated information with an external device, the controller circuit comprising;

a processor;

an electrical interface operatively coupling the processor to one or both of the transmit and receive base data signals for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the external device over an EHF communication link coupled to the at least a first transducer; and

a measurement circuit operatively coupled to the processor and configured to sense a change in at least one operating parameter of the one or more components, the measurement circuit comprising a voltage sensor coupled to the processor to sense a voltage difference between a supply voltage and a regulated voltage applied to components on the electromagnetic EHF communication chip and to communicate to the processor a voltage-difference signal representative of a sensed voltage difference, wherein the sensed voltage difference is a control signal received from the external device and is representative of a selected operating frequency of the local oscillator, and the processor controls the frequency of the local oscillator in response to the received control signal.

2. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 1, wherein the one or more local oscillators are responsive to one or more control signals for varying the frequency of at least one of the first and second carrier signals;

the electromagnetic EHF communication chip further comprising a controller circuit coupled to the one or more local oscillator circuits, and responsive to the first and second frequencies of the first and second carrier signals for generating the one or more control signals appropriate for varying the frequency of one or both of the first and second carrier signals.

3. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 1, wherein the at least one modulator or a demodulator includes at least first and second modulators and at least first and second demodulators, the electromagnetic EHF communication chip further comprising a first data channel, and a second data channel for carrying the base data signals, and a cross-point switch connected to the first and second modulators, the first and second demodulators, a receive data channel, and a transmit data channel, the cross-point switch being configured to switch selectively each of the modulators and demodulators to at least one of the first and second data channels.

4. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 1, wherein the processor controls the operation of the one or more components in response to the sensed change in the at least one operating parameter.

5. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit further comprises a memory coupled to the processor for storing information associated with the operation of the one or more components.

6. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit further comprises a current shunt coupled to the processor and configured to change current on a voltage supply conductor in response to a communication signal received from the processor.

7. An electromagnetic Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communication chip comprising:

at least one local oscillator circuit for generating at least one carrier signal;

a transducer circuit having at least a first transducer;

at least first and second modulators coupled to the at least one local oscillator circuit and the transducer circuit;

at least first and second demodulators coupled to the at least one local oscillator circuit and the transducer circuit;

a first data channel for carrying a first base data signal;

a second data channel for carrying a second base data signal;

a cross-point switch connected to the first and second modulators, the first and second demodulators, a receive data channel, and a transmit data channel, the cross-point switch being configured to connect one or both of the first and second data channels to a selected one or more of the modulators and demodulators; and

a controller circuit coupled to the cross-point switch, wherein the controller circuit is configured to;

control the switching of the one or more modulators and the one or more demodulators to the first and second data channels,

detect communication information from at least one of a receive base data signal from the demodulator and a transmit base data signal from the modulator,

control the switching of the cross-point switch in response to the detected communication information, and

control the switching of the cross-point switch based on the detected communication information indicating which demodulator is receiving an EHF communication signal corresponding to a respective alignment of one of the transducers of the EHF communication chip and an external transmitter transducer of an external device.

8. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 7, wherein each data channel includes a transmit data line and a receive data line, the cross-point switch being further configured to selectively connect one of the modulators to a selected one or both of the transmit data lines;

to selectively connect one or both demodulators to a selected one or both of the receive data line.

9. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 7, wherein the controller circuit is further configured to generate signals to control one or more components of the electromagnetic EHF communication chip in addition to the cross-point switch, and communicate associated information with an external device.

10. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 9, wherein the controller circuit comprises:

a processor;

an electrical interface operatively coupling the processor to one or both of a transmit base data signal and a receive base data signal for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from an external device over an EHF communication link coupled to the at least one transducer; and

a measurement circuit operatively coupled to the processor and configured to sense a change in at least one operating parameter of the one or more components.

11. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 10, wherein the controller circuit further comprises a memory coupled to the processor for storing information associated with the operation of the one or more controlled components.

12. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 10, wherein the measurement circuit comprises a voltage sensor coupled to the processor to sense a voltage difference between a supply voltage and a regulated voltage applied to components on the electromagnetic EHF communication chip and to communicate to the processor a voltage-difference signal representative of the sensed voltage difference.

13. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 10, wherein the controller circuit further comprises a current shunt adapted to change current on a voltage supply conductor in response to signals received from the processor.

14. An electromagnetic Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communication chip comprising:

at least one local oscillator circuit for generating at least one carrier signal;

a transducer circuit having at least a first transducer;

at least a first modulator coupled to the at least one local oscillator circuit and the transducer circuit;

at least a first demodulator coupled to the at least one local oscillator circuit and the transducer circuit;

a first data channel for carrying a first base data signal; and

a controller circuit configured to generate signals to control one or more components of the electromagnetic EHF communication chip, the controller comprising;

a processor,

an electrical interface operatively coupling the processor to one or both of a transmit base data signal and a receive base data signal for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from an external device over an EHF communication link coupled to the at least a first transducer,

a measurement circuit operatively coupled to the processor and configured to sense a change in at least one operating parameter of the one or more components, and

a current shunt coupled to the processor and configured to change current on a voltage supply conductor in response to a communication signal received from the processor.

15. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 14, wherein the control circuit is further configured to communicate with external device information associated with the one or more components.

16. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 14, wherein the processor controls the operation of the one or more components in response to the sensed change in the at least one operating parameter.

17. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 14, wherein the controller circuit further comprises a memory coupled to the processor for storing information associated with the operation of the one or more components.

18. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 14, wherein the measurement circuit comprises a voltage sensor coupled to the processor to sense a voltage difference between a supply voltage and a regulated voltage applied to components on the electromagnetic EHF communication chip and to communicate to the processor a voltage-difference signal representative of the sensed voltage difference.

19. The electromagnetic EHF communication chip of claim 18, wherein the controller circuit further comprises a current shunt coupled to the processor and configured to change current on a voltage supply conductor in response to a communication signal received from the processor.