SELF-POWERED DETECTION DEVICE WITH A NON-VOLATILE MEMORY

• US 20110119017A1
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EM Microelectronic - Marin SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: EM Microelectronic - Marin SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Roz, Thierry, Kamp, David A., Marinelli, Filippo
• Granted Patent: US 8,422,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/127
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/06 by tampering with fastening

Abstract

The self-powered detection device comprises a Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) unit (52) formed by at least a NVM cell and a sensor which is activated by a physical or chemical action or phenomenon, the NVM unit being arranged for storing in said NVM cell, by using the electrical power of said electrical stimulus pulse, a bit of information relative to the detection by said sensor, during a detection mode of the self-powered detection device, of at least one physical or chemical action or phenomenon applied to it with at least a given strength or intensity and resulting in a voltage stimulus signal provided between a set control terminal (SET) and a base terminal (SET *) of the NVM unit with at least a given set voltage. In a first principal embodiment, the self-powered detection device comprises a read circuit (56) and a switch (58,60) arranged in the electrical path between the ground (GND) of the sensor and a terminal of the NVM cell and having its control gate (G) electrically connected to the set control terminal (SET), said switch being ON when its control gate receives in a detection mode said voltage stimulus signal and the self-powered detection device being arranged so that this switch is OFF in the read mode. In a second principal embodiment, a reset circuit is electrically connected in a reset mode to the base terminal (SET *) of the NVM unit for resetting said NVM cell and the self-powered detection device comprises a switch (58,60) arranged between the ground (GND) of the sensor and this base terminal and having its control gate (G) electrically connected to the set control terminal (SET), said switch being ON when its control gate receives in a detection mode said voltage stimulus signal and the self-powered detection device being arranged so that this switch is OFF in the reset mode.

Claims

1. A self-powered detection device comprising a Non-Volatile Memory unit formed at least by a NVM cell and a sensor which is activated by a physical or chemical action or phenomenon, this sensor forming an energy harvester that transforms energy from said physical or chemical action or phenomenon into an electrical stimulus pulse, said NVM unit being arranged for storing in said NVM cell, by using the electrical power of said electrical stimulus pulse, a bit of information relative to the detection by said sensor, during a detection mode of the self-powered detection device, of at least one physical or chemical action or phenomenon applied to it with at least a given strength or intensity and resulting in a voltage stimulus signal provided between a set control terminal and a base terminal of said NVM unit with at least a given set voltage, said NVM cell having, in said detection mode, a first terminal electrically connected to said set control terminal and a second terminal electrically connected to said base terminal of said NVM unit, said self-powered detection device further comprising a read circuit or being arranged to be coupled to such a read circuit;

wherein, in a read mode of said self-powered detection device wherein at least said read circuit is powered by a power source, this read circuit is electrically connected to said second terminal of the NVM cell for reading the state of this NVM cell via this second terminal, and wherein the self-powered detection device comprises a switch arranged in the electrical path between the ground of said sensor and said second terminal of the NVM cell and having its control gate electrically connected to said set control terminal in said detection mode, said switch being ON when its control gate receives said voltage stimulus signal and the self-powered detection device being arranged so that this switch is OFF in said read mode.

2. The self-powered detection device according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises a reset circuit or is arranged to be coupled to such a reset circuit, this reset circuit providing, in a reset mode of said self-powered detection device wherein at least said reset circuit is powered by a power source, a reset signal to said second terminal of the NVM cell for resetting this NVM cell, the self-powered detection device being arranged so that said switch is OFF in said reset mode.

6. The self-powered detection device according to claim 1, wherein said read circuit is formed by a latch.

3. The self-powered detection device comprising a Non-Volatile Memory unit formed at least by a NVM cell and a sensor which is activated by a physical or chemical action or phenomenon, this sensor forming an energy harvester that transforms energy from said physical or chemical action or phenomenon into an electrical stimulus pulse, said NVM unit being arranged for storing in said NVM cell, by using the electrical power of said electrical stimulus pulse, a bit of information relative to the detection by said sensor, during a detection mode of the self-powered detection device, of at least one physical or chemical action or phenomenon applied to it with at least a given strength or intensity and resulting in a voltage stimulus signal provided between a set control terminal and a base terminal of said NVM unit with at least a given set voltage, said self-powered detection device further comprising a read circuit or being arranged to be coupled to such a read circuit;

wherein the self-powered detection device further comprises a reset circuit or is arranged to be coupled to such a reset circuit, this reset circuit providing, in a reset mode of said self-powered detection device wherein at least said reset circuit is powered by a power source, a reset signal to said base terminal of the NVM unit for resetting said NVM cell, and wherein the self-powered detection device comprises a switch arranged in the path between the ground of said sensor and said base terminal of the NVM unit and having its control gate electrically connected to said set control terminal in said detection mode, said switch being ON when its control gate receives said voltage stimulus signal and the self-powered detection device being arranged so that this switch is OFF in said reset mode.

4. The self-powered detection device according to claim 3, wherein, in a read mode of said self-powered detection device wherein at least said read circuit is powered by a power source, this read circuit is electrically connected to the same terminal of said NVM cell than said base terminal of the NVM unit for reading the state of this NVM cell, the self-powered detection device being arranged so that said switch is OFF in said read mode.

5. The self-powered detection device according to claim 3, wherein said switch is formed by a FET transistor.

7. The self-powered detection device according to claim 5, wherein said NVM cell is formed by a further FET transistor.