Coordination of multiple integrated circuit assemblies of a device

• US 20070296582A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Application Number:
  US11/472,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20070296582A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag

Abstract

A device includes a plurality of IC assemblies, where each IC assembly includes circuitry and RFID tag circuitry. The circuitry is operable to perform at least one function. The RFID tag circuitry is operable to: receive an RFID signal; process the RFID signal to produce a supply voltage for the RFID tag circuitry; interpret the RFID signal to determine whether the RFID tag circuitry is to respond to the RFID signal; and when the RFID tag circuitry is to respond to the RFID signal, transmit a response RFID signal, wherein the response RF signal includes information regarding at least one of: the device, at least one of the plurality of IC assemblies, and one or more of the at least one function.

Claims

1. A device comprises:

a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) assemblies, wherein each of the integrated circuits includes;

circuitry operable to perform at least one function;

radio frequency identification (RFID) tag circuitry operable to;

receive an RFID signal;

process the RFID signal to produce a supply voltage for the RFID tag circuitry;

interpret the RFID signal to determine whether the RFID tag circuitry is to respond to the RFID signal; and

when the RFID tag circuitry is to respond to the RFID signal, transmit a response RFID signal, wherein the response RF signal includes information regarding at least one of;

the device, at least one of the plurality of IC assemblies, and one or more of the at least one function.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag circuitry interprets the RFID signal by:

determining whether the RFID tag circuitry is a master RFID tag for the device; and

when the RFID tag circuitry is the master RFID tag, generating the response RFID signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag circuitry interprets the RFID signal by:

interpreting a header portion of the RFID signal to determine an address;

determining whether the address corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry; and

when the address corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry, generating the response RFID signal.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag circuitry interprets the RFID signal by:

interpreting a header portion of the RFID signal to determine a type of response;

determining whether the type of response corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry; and

when the type of response corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry, generating the response RFID signal.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag circuitry interprets the RFID signal by:

determining whether the RFID tag circuitry is a master RFID tag for the device;

when the RFID tag circuitry is not the master RFID tag for the device, waiting a predetermined period of time for an RFID instruction from the master RFID tag to provide the response RFID signal; and

when the RFID instruction is received within the predetermined period of time, generating the response RFID signal.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag circuitry interprets the RFID signal by:

when the RFID signal is processed to produce the supply voltage, triggering a unique collision avoidance time period;

prior to expiration of the unique collision avoidance time period, monitoring for the response RFID signal being transmitted by another RFID tag circuitry;

when the unique collision avoidance time period expires and another RFID tag circuitry has not transmitted the response RFID signal, generating the response RFID signal.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag circuitry interprets the RFID signal by:

when the RFID signal is processed to produce the supply voltage, triggering a unique collision avoidance time period;

interpreting a header portion of the RFID signal to determine at least one of;

a type of response and an address;

determining whether the at least one of the type of response and the address corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry;

when the at least one of the type of response and the address corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry, generating the response RFID signal;

enabling the transmission of the response RFID signal at expiration of the unique collision avoidance time period.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

supply voltage coupling circuit connected to the plurality of integrated circuit assemblies, wherein, when the device is in a power savings mode, the supply voltage coupling circuit connects the supply voltages produced by the plurality of RFID tag circuitries in parallel to provide an auxiliary power supply to at least one of the plurality of integrated circuit assemblies for a power savings mode function.

18. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

supply voltage coupling circuit connected to the plurality of integrated circuit assemblies, wherein, when the device is in a power savings mode, the supply voltage coupling circuit connects the supply voltages produced by the plurality of RFID tag circuitries in parallel to provide an auxiliary power supply to at least one of the plurality of integrated circuit assemblies for a power savings mode function.

9. A device comprises:

a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) assemblies, wherein each of the integrated circuits includes;

circuitry operable to perform at least one function;

radio frequency identification (RFID) tag circuitry operable to;

receive an RFID signal;

process the RFID signal to produce a supply voltage for the RFID tag circuitry;

determine whether the RFID tag circuitry is enabled; and

when the RFID tag circuitry is enabled, transmit a response RFID signal, wherein the response RF signal includes information regarding at least one of;

the device, at least one of the plurality of IC assemblies, and one or more of the at least one function.

10. The device of claim 9 further comprises:

the circuitry of at least one of the plurality of IC assemblies generates an enable/disable signal for the RFID tag circuitries of the plurality of IC assemblies, wherein each of the RFID tag circuitries of the plurality of IC assemblies interprets a corresponding one of the enable/disable signals to determine whether the RFID tag circuitry is enabled.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of IC assemblies further comprises:

an enable/disable indicator coupled to the RFID tag circuitry, wherein the enable/disable indicator indicates whether the RFID tag circuitry is enabled.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the RFID tag circuitry further functions to:

determine whether the RFID tag circuitry is enabled for a particular function; and

when the RFID tag circuitry is enabled for the particular function, interpret the RFID signal to determine whether the RFID corresponds to the particular function.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of IC assemblies further comprises:

an enable/disable indicator coupled to the RFID tag circuitry, wherein the enable/disable indicator indicates whether the RFID tag circuitry is enabled and whether the RFID tag circuitry is enabled for the particular function.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the RFID tag circuitry further functions to:

interpret the RFID signal to determine whether the RFID tag circuitry is to respond to the RFID signal, wherein the interpret includes;

determining whether the RFID tag circuitry is a master RFID tag for the device; and

when the RFID tag circuitry is the master RFID tag, generating the response RFID signal.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the RFID tag circuitry further functions to:

interpret the RFID signal to determine whether the RFID tag circuitry is to respond to the RFID signal, wherein the interpret includes;

interpreting a header portion of the RFID signal to determine at least one of an address and a type of response;

determining whether the at least one of the address and the type of response corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry; and

when the at least one of the address and the type of response corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry, generating the response RFID signal.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the RFID tag circuitry further functions to:

interpret the RFID signal to determine whether the RFID tag circuitry is to respond to the RFID signal, wherein the interpret includes;

when the RFID signal is processed to produce the supply voltage, triggering a unique collision avoidance time period;

prior to expiration of the unique collision avoidance time period, monitoring for the response RFID signal being transmitted by another RFID tag circuitry;

when the unique collision avoidance time period expires and another RFID tag circuitry has not transmitted the response RFID signal, generating the response RFID signal.

17. The device of claim 9, wherein the RFID tag circuitry further functions to:

interpret the RFID signal to determine whether the RFID tag circuitry is to respond to the RFID signal, wherein the interpret includes;

when the RFID signal is processed to produce the supply voltage, triggering a unique collision avoidance time period;

interpreting a header portion of the RFID signal to determine at least one of;

a type of response and an address;

determining whether the at least one of the type of response and the address corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry;

when the at least one of the type of response and the address corresponds to the RFID tag circuitry, generating the response RFID signal;

enabling the transmission of the response RFID signal at expiration of the unique collision avoidance time period.

19. A device comprises:

a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) assemblies, wherein each of the integrated circuits includes;

circuitry operable to perform at least one function;

radio frequency (RF) power recovery circuit operable to;

receive an RF signal;

process the RF signal to produce a supply voltage; and

supply voltage coupling circuit connected to the plurality of integrated circuit assemblies, wherein, when active, the supply voltage coupling circuit connects the supply voltages produced by the plurality of RF power recovery circuits in parallel to provide an auxiliary power supply to at least one of the plurality of integrated circuit assemblies.