IP Library Granted Patent US 9,473,861
Granted Patent B1
US 9,473,861 · App. 14/856,040 · Granted Oct 18, 2016

Method of forming a semiconductor device and structure therefor

Inventors: James Gregory Ryan (Ottawa, CA); Dennis Wayne Mitchler (Ottawa, CA)
Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
H04R25/558H04R25/554H04R31/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,473,861
App. No.
14/856,040
Granted
Oct 18, 2016
Kind
B1
Abstract

In one embodiment, a semiconductor device may include a controller that may be configured to receive an information signal from a detachable device wherein the information signal may be selectively representative of an output signal of the controller according to codes of the detachable device and to receive a sense input that may be representative of the output signal and to determine a code received from the detachable device according to a value of the sense signal and the information signal.

Claims (29)

1. A semiconductor device configured for identification of a detachable device, comprising:

a controller configured to control one or more output signals to excite the detachable device;

one or more information inputs of the controller configured to receive one or more information signals from the detachable device wherein the one or more information signals are selectively representative of the one or more output signals according to codes of the detachable device; and

one or more sense inputs of the controller configured to receive one or more sense signals that are representative of the one or more output signals wherein the controller is configured to determine the codes according to values of the one or more sense signals and the one or more information signals.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the codes of the detachable device are formed by an interconnection configuration between the one or more output signals and the one or more information signals.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 wherein the interconnection configuration includes a resistor or a short circuit.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to determine the codes by forming a first value for the one or more output signals, sensing a first value of the one or more sense signals and a first value of the one or more information signals, forming a second value for the one or more output signals, and sensing a second value of the one or more sense signals and a second value of the one or more information signals.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4 further including using the first and second values of the one or more information signals to form a binary value that is representative of the code.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 5 wherein the binary value has four binary digits.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 further including the controller configured to control the one or more output signals to form an excitation signal to excite the detachable device wherein the excitation signal varies from a common mode value to a peak value in no less than approximately ten to approximately sixty milliseconds.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the one or more output signals are outputs signal from an output of an amplifier and configured to excite a loudspeaker of the detachable device.

9. A method of forming a semiconductor device comprising:

configuring a controller to form output signals to form an excitation signal to excite a detachable device;

forming the controller to receive information signals from the detachable device wherein the information signals are selectively representative of values of the output signals according to a connection configuration of the detachable device; and

forming the controller to one of a) control the output signals to form the excitation signal to vary gradually or b) receive sense signals that are representative of the output signals and use the sense signals and the information signals to decode information of the information signals.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of forming the controller to one of control the output signals to form the excitation signal to vary gradually includes forming the controller to control the output signals to form the excitation signal to have a gradually varying rise time or gradually varying fall time.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein forming the controller to control the output signals to form the excitation signal to have the gradually varying rise time or fall time includes forming the controller to form the rise time or fall time to be approximately ten to fifty microseconds.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein forming the controller to control the output signals to form the excitation signal to have the gradually varying rise time or fall time includes forming the controller to use a value of the information signals corresponding to a peak value of the excitation signal.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein configuring the controller to form output signals to form the excitation signal includes configuring the controller to form the excitation signal to form audio signals from the detachable device.

14. A method of forming a semiconductor device configured for decoding information from a detachable device comprising:

forming a controller to form output signals to form an excitation signal to excite the detachable device;

forming the controller to receive information signals from the detachable device wherein the information signals are selectively representative of values of the output signals according to a connection configuration of the detachable device; and

configuring the controller to receive sense signals that are representative of the output signals and to use values of the sense signals and values of the information signals to decode information of the information signals.

15. The method of claim 14 including configuring the controller to form the output signal to form the excitation signal with a gradually changing value.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein forming the controller to form output signals includes configuring the controller to form the excitation signal with a frequency that is outside a normal hearing range.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein forming the controller to form output signals includes configuring the controller to form the excitation signal with a frequency that is less than approximately one hundred Hertz.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein forming the controller to form output signals includes configuring the controller to form the excitation signal with a frequency that is less than approximately twenty Hertz.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein forming the controller to form output signals includes configuring the controller to form output signals of opposite states, to receive the sense signals that are representative of the output signal and the input signals formed from the output signals, to invert the output signals, and to receive the sense signals that are representative of the inverted output signals and the input signals formed from the inverted output signals.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein configuring the controller to receive sense signals that are representative of the output signals includes configuring the controller to decode information of the information signals during the operation of forming audible signals for a user of the semiconductor device.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 038620, FRAME 0087 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064070/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE INCORRECT PATENT NUMBER 5859768 AND TO RECITE COLLATERAL AGENT ROLE OF RECEIVING PARTY IN THE SECURITY INTEREST PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038620 FRAME 0087. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Aug 25, 2016
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 039853/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 15, 2016
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
Reel/Frame 038620/0087 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2015
From: RYAN, JAMES GREGORY; MITCHLER, DENNIS WAYNE
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 036581/0385 →