SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF CHARGING THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20120019192A1
• Filed: 09/24/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: SATO, Takehisa, OSADA, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,862,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

An object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device including a battery that can be wirelessly charged, in which the battery can be charged even when the semiconductor device is not put close to a power feeder. Such a semiconductor device has a structure including an antenna circuit, a communication control circuit to conduct wireless communication via the antenna circuit, a battery to be charged with electric power which is externally wirelessly fed via the antenna circuit, and an oscillator circuit to wirelessly feed electric power via the antenna circuit. In addition, the battery in the semiconductor device is wirelessly charged and the semiconductor device externally feeds electric power wirelessly to a chargeable battery in another semiconductor device.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a circuit; and

a first battery electrically connected to the circuit,

wherein the circuit is configured to communicate with a device comprising a second battery wirelessly, and

wherein the first battery is configured to be charged from the device comprising the second battery wirelessly.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first battery is charged from the device comprising the second battery via an antenna circuit.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first battery is charged by using a power of an electromagnetic wave sent from the device comprising the second battery.

4. A semiconductor device comprising:

an antenna circuit;

a communication control circuit electrically connected to the antenna circuit; and

a first battery electrically connected to the antenna circuit,

wherein the communication control circuit is configured to control communication with a device comprising a second battery via the antenna circuit, and

wherein the first battery is configured to be charged from the device comprising the second battery wirelessly.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the first battery is charged from the device comprising the second battery via the antenna circuit.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the first battery is charged by using a power of an electromagnetic wave sent from the device comprising the second battery.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the communication control circuit is configured to operate by using a power from the first battery.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first antenna circuit;

a communication control circuit electrically connected to the first antenna circuit; and

a first battery electrically connected to the communication control circuit,

wherein the communication control circuit is configured to control communication with a device comprising a second battery via the first antenna circuit, and

wherein the first battery is configured to be charged from the device comprising the second battery wirelessly.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the first battery is charged from the device comprising the second battery via the first antenna circuit.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the first battery is charged by using a power of an electromagnetic wave sent from the device comprising the second battery.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the communication control circuit is configured to operate by using a power from the first battery.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, further comprising a second antenna circuit,

wherein the first battery is charged from the device comprising the second battery via the second antenna circuit.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

an antenna circuit;

a communication control circuit electrically connected to the antenna circuit;

a first battery electrically connected to the antenna circuit; and

an oscillator circuit electrically connected to the antenna circuit,

wherein the communication control circuit is configured to control communication with a device comprising a second battery via the antenna circuit,

wherein the first battery is configured to be charged from the device comprising the second battery wirelessly, and

wherein the oscillator circuit is configured to feed a power to the device comprising the second battery via the antenna circuit wirelessly.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the first battery is charged from the device comprising the second battery via the antenna circuit.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the first battery is charged by using a power of an electromagnetic wave sent from the device comprising the second battery.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the communication control circuit is configured to operate by using a power from the first battery.

17. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first antenna circuit;

a communication control circuit electrically connected to the first antenna circuit;

a first battery electrically connected to the communication control circuit;

a first circuit electrically connected to the first battery; and

a second circuit electrically connected to the first circuit,

wherein the communication control circuit is configured to control communication with a device comprising a second battery via the first antenna circuit,

wherein the first battery is configured to be charged from the device comprising the second battery wirelessly, and

wherein the second circuit is configured to feed a power to the device comprising the second battery via the first circuit wirelessly.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the first battery is charged from the device comprising the second battery via the first circuit.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the first battery is charged by using a power of an electromagnetic wave sent from the device comprising the second battery.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the communication control circuit is configured to operate by using a power from the first battery.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 17,

wherein the first circuit is a second antenna circuit, and

wherein the second circuit is an oscillator circuit.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the power is fed to the device comprising the second battery by an electromagnetic wave.