SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, BATTERY MONITORING SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR ACTIVATING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE
First Claim
1. A semiconductor device comprising:
- an activation circuit, to which an activation signal output from an outside of the semiconductor device is input, that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than a ground potential of a connected external battery and is equal to or lower than a power source potential of the battery, and that outputs an inner activation signal based on the activation signal;
a regulator, to which the inner activation signal is input, that generates and outputs a driving voltage from the power source potential;
a boosting circuit that generates and outputs a boosted voltage that is equal to or more than the driving voltage;
a driving circuit that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than the power source potential and is equal to or lower than a potential of the boosted voltage, and that outputs the activation signal to another semiconductor device according to the inner activation signal;
a first communication circuit, to which a first communication signal output from the outside is input, that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than the ground potential and is equal to or lower than a potential of the driving voltage, and that outputs an inner communication signal based on the first communication signal; and
a second communication circuit, to which the inner communication signal is input, that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than the power source potential and is equal to or lower than a potential of a driving voltage of the other semiconductor device, and that outputs a second communication signal based on the inner communication signal to the other semiconductor device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a semiconductor device, a battery monitoring system, and a method for activating the semiconductor device that may reduce current consumption in standby state. IC includes an activation circuit that uses a ground of the IC as its ground and a power source voltage of the IC as its power source, and a driving circuit that uses the power source voltage as its ground and a boosted voltage output from a boosting circuit as its power source. In the IC, only the activation circuit enters an operation state in a standby state, and when recovered from the standby state, causes the activation circuit to make inner circuits of the IC to enter the operation state based on an activation signal. When all the inner circuits enter the operation state, the driving circuit outputs the activation signal to the activation circuit of an upper IC.
34 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A semiconductor device comprising:
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an activation circuit, to which an activation signal output from an outside of the semiconductor device is input, that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than a ground potential of a connected external battery and is equal to or lower than a power source potential of the battery, and that outputs an inner activation signal based on the activation signal; a regulator, to which the inner activation signal is input, that generates and outputs a driving voltage from the power source potential; a boosting circuit that generates and outputs a boosted voltage that is equal to or more than the driving voltage; a driving circuit that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than the power source potential and is equal to or lower than a potential of the boosted voltage, and that outputs the activation signal to another semiconductor device according to the inner activation signal; a first communication circuit, to which a first communication signal output from the outside is input, that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than the ground potential and is equal to or lower than a potential of the driving voltage, and that outputs an inner communication signal based on the first communication signal; and a second communication circuit, to which the inner communication signal is input, that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than the power source potential and is equal to or lower than a potential of a driving voltage of the other semiconductor device, and that outputs a second communication signal based on the inner communication signal to the other semiconductor device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for activating a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including, a regulator, to which an inner activation signal is input, that generates and outputs a driving voltage from a power source potential of an external battery, a boosting circuit that generates and outputs a boosted voltage that is equal to or more than the driving voltage, a first communication circuit, to which a first communication signal output from an outside of the semiconductor device is input, that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than a ground potential of the battery and is equal to or lower than a potential of the driving voltage, and that outputs an inner communication signal based on the first communication signal, and a second communication circuit, to which the inner communication signal is input, that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than the power source potential and is equal to or lower than a potential of a driving voltage of another semiconductor device, and that outputs a second communication signal based on the inner communication signal to the other semiconductor device, the method comprising:
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outputting the inner activation signal based on an activation signal by an activation circuit, to which an activation signal output from the outside of the semiconductor device is input, that operates at the operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than the ground potential of the connected external battery and is equal to or lower than the power source potential of the battery; outputting an activation signal to the other semiconductor device according to the inner activation signal by a driving circuit that operates at an operation voltage within a range that is equal to or more than the power source potential and is equal to or lower than a potential of the boosted voltage.
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Specification