Rectifier circuit

• US 20050205679A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Alihodzic, Admir
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0715 the arrangement including means to regulate power transfer to the integrated circuit
• 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

A data transmission method and a unit for performing data transmission. The method and unit include use of a data transmission interface having a controlled rectifier. The data transmission interface is actuated by a rectifier actuation unit.

Claims

1. A data transmission unit comprising:

a data transmission interface having a controlled rectifier,

wherein the controlled rectifier is actuated by a rectifier actuation unit.

2. The data transmission unit of claim 1, wherein the controlled rectifier is actuated on the basis of a voltage which is available in the data transmission unit.

3. The data transmission unit of claim 1, wherein the data transmission interface is of a contactless design.

4. The data transmission unit of claim 1, wherein the controlled rectifier is a full-wave bridge rectifier.

5. The data transmission unit of claim 4, wherein the controlled rectifier comprises:

(1) first and second transistors, the first and second transistors arranged to operate as diodes, and

(2) third and fourth transistors, the third and fourth transistors being actuated by the rectifier actuation unit.

6. The data transmission unit of claim 5, wherein upon a voltage which is available in the data transmission unit exceeding a prescribable value, the third and fourth transistors being actuated, whereby current flows through the first transistor and through the third and fourth transistors for a positive half-cycle of the input voltage on the controlled rectifier and flows through the second transistor and through the third and fourth transistors for a negative half-cycle, and wherein

upon a voltage which is available in the data transmission unit falling below a prescribable value, the third and fourth transistors being actuated, whereby current flows through the first transistor and through the fourth transistor for a positive half-cycle of the input voltage on the controlled rectifier and flows through the second transistor and through the third transistor for a negative half-cycle.

7. The data transmission unit of claim 6, wherein the third and fourth transistors are actuated on the basis of a voltage present at the output of the controlled rectifier.

8. The data transmission unit of claim 5, wherein the first, second, third and fourth transistors are designed using NMOS technology.

9. The data transmission unit of claim 5, wherein the third and fourth transistors are actuated on the basis of the data to be transmitted by the data interface.

10. The data transmission unit of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the voltages which are present on the controlled rectifier, in the case of the high and low states for the data to be transmitted, is independent of the voltage which is present on the output of the controlled rectifier.

11. The data transmission unit of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the voltages which are present on the controlled rectifier, in the case of the high and low states, for the data which are to be transmitted is prescribable.

12. A method for operating the data transmission unit of claim 1, wherein the controlled rectifier performs one or more of the operations selected from the group consisting of rectifier, shunt element and modulation elements.

13. A method for regulating the output voltage at an output line of a circuit, the circuit comprising an antenna, a rectifier bridge circuit with first, second, third and fourth transistors, and an actuation unit, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving electromagnetic energy at the antenna;

inducing a voltage between first and second points coupled to opposite ends of the antenna; and

actuating the first and second transistors of the rectifier bridge circuit,

wherein the actuation unit performs the actuating step.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rectifier bridge circuit is disposed between the antenna and the output line.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second transistors are actuated simultaneously.

16. A method for changing the value of an output voltage line of a combination electromagnetic/rectifier bridge circuit, the rectifier bridge circuit comprising a plurality of transistors, and an actuation unit being connected to one or more of the transistors, the method comprising the steps of:

inducing a voltage at the antenna;

actuating current flow by the action of an actuating unit in one or more of the plurality of transistors of the rectifier bridge circuit if a present value of the output voltage line exceeds a predetermined value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the inducing step produces a voltage imbalance and, wherein the imbalance causes the activation of one of the plurality of transistors different from the one or more of the plurality of transistors actuated in the actuating step.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of transistors are NMOS transistors.

19. A rectifier circuit, comprising:

first and second transistors connected to a feed back loop for an output of the rectifier circuit;

third and fourth transistors connected to an input of the rectifier circuit and the output of the rectifier circuit;

wherein

a voltage located on the feedback loop determines the operation of the rectifier circuit as one or more circuit elements selected from the group consisting of circuit elements selected from rectifier and shunt elements.

20. The rectifier circuit of claim 19, further comprising:

an antenna having an input receiving electromagnetic energy and an output coupled to the first, second, third and fourth transistors.