(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,102.202 B2 10
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USOO81022O2B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,102.202 B2 Wurth (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 24, 2012 (54) MODEM UNIT AND MOBILE (56) References Cited COMMUNICATION UNIT U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (75) Inventor: Bernd Wurth, Landsberg am Lech (DE) 5.335,276 A * 8/1994 Thompson et al. ........... 380.266 5,638,540 A * 6/1997 T13,300 (73) Assignee: Innon Technologies AG, Neubiberg 5,974,5285,809,432 A * 10/19999/1998 YamashitaTsai et al. ................. 455,575..1 (DE) 6,380,031 B1 4/2002 Mehrad et al. 7,162,279 B2 * 1/2007 Gupta ........................... 455,574 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 7.281,144 B2 * 10/2007 Banginwar et al. T13,320 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 73s E: 33 S.aSC halkOWSKI ki etalca. ... 229. U.S.C. 154(b) by 739 days. 2002/0083432 A1* 6/2002 Souissi et al. ................. 717/178 2008/0104428 A1* 5/2008 Nafziger et al. ............. T13,300 (21) Appl. No.: 12/190,183 * cited by examiner (22) Filed: Aug. 12, 2008 Primary Examiner — David Mis (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Eschweiler & Associates, (65) Prior Publication Data LLC US 2010/00401 24 A1 Feb. 18, 2010 (57) ABSTRACT (51) Int. Cl. A modem unit includes a first semiconductor die that includes H04L27/00 (2006.01) ARASE (52) U.S. Cl. ........ ".- - - - - - - - 329/311; 332/106; 375/222 on a first semiconductor die. The first semiconductor die also (58) Field of Classification Search .................. 329/300, includes a power management unit and an embedded flash 329/304,311: 332/100, 103, 106; 375/222, memory. 375/259 See application file for complete search history. 22 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets 10 U.S. Patent Jan. 24, 2012 Sheet 1 of 6 US 8,102.202 B2 FIG. 1 RF BASEBAND TRANSCEIVER UNIT UNIT U.S. Patent Jan. 24, 2012 Sheet 2 of 6 US 8,102.202 B2 100 10 FIG. 3 U.S. Patent Jan. 24, 2012 Sheet 3 of 6 US 8,102.202 B2 A1 200 SECOND MEMORY UNIT BASEBAND UNIT FIRST MEMORY UNIT FIG. 4 U.S. Patent Jan. 24, 2012 Sheet 4 of 6 US 8,102.202 B2 MEMORY UNIT APPLICATION UNIT FIG. 5 U.S. Patent Jan. 24, 2012 Sheet 5 of 6 US 8,102.202 B2 ------- - - - - - - - 1-------- 422 MEMORY UNIT 421 423 RF APPLICATION TRANSCEIVER PROCESSOR BASEBAND UNIT UNIT 415 POWER 411.1 - 411 MANAGEMENT UNIT 411.2 MEMORY 424 U.S. Patent Jan. 24, 2012 Sheet 6 of 6 US 8,102.202 B2 STORE DATA IN FIRST MEMORY UNIT FABRICATE MODEM UNIT STORE OPERATION PROGRAMIN SECOND MEMORY UNIT FABRICATE APPLICATION UNIT FIG 7 US 8, 102,202 B2 1. 2 MODEMUNT AND MOBILE other implementations as may be desired and advantageous COMMUNICATION UNIT for any given or particular application. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “include”, “have”, “with', or other vari FIELD OF THE INVENTION ants thereof are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner This invention relates to a modem unit, a mobile commu similar to the term “comprise'. The terms “coupled and nication unit, and a method for producing a mobile commu “connected, along with derivatives may be used. It should be nication unit. understood that these terms may be used to indicate that two elements cooperate or interact with each other regardless BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 10 whether they are in direct physical or electrical contact, or they are not in direct contact with each other. Also, the term A mobile communication unit may comprise a modem “exemplary is merely meant as an example, rather than the (modulator/demodulator) unit, which encodes information best or optimal. and modulates a signal to be transmitted, and also demodu Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic block lates a received signal and decodes information contained 15 diagram of a modem unit according to an embodiment. The therein. By use of a modem unit a signal is produced that can modem unit 10 comprises a semiconductor die 1 comprising be transmitted easily and a received signal can be decoded to a power management unit or power Supply unit 2 and an reproduce the original information. Modems can be imple embedded flash memory 3. The power management unit 2 is mented not only in mobile communication units but also in responsible for the supply of electrical power to the sub-units other communication units like stationary communication and sections of the modem unit 10. units, data processing units, personal computers or the like. According to an embodiment of the modem unit 10 of FIG. Modem units can comprise memory units like Volatile and 1, the semiconductor die 1 with the power management unit 2 non-volatile memories for storing different kinds of informa and the embedded flash memory 3 can be housed in a package tion or data therein. like, for example, a mold package. The package may com 25 prise outer electrical contact elements connected to contact BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS elements of the power management unit 2 and the embedded flash memory 3, the outer electrical contact elements being, Aspects of the invention are made more evident by way of for example, in the form of pins or flat contact pads (“lands'). example in the following detailed description of embodi According to one embodiment of the modem unit 10 of ments when read in conjunction with the attached drawing 30 FIG. 1, the power management unit 2 and the embedded flash figures. memory 3 can be electrically connected with each other by FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a electrical connection elements integrated on the semiconduc modem unit according to an embodiment; tor die 1. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a According to one embodiment of the modem unit 10 of modem unit according to an embodiment; 35 FIG. 1, the modem unit 10 further comprises a baseband unit FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a or baseband processor which can be electrically coupled to mobile communication unit according to an embodiment; the power management unit 2. In one embodiment the base FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a band unit can be fabricated on another semiconductor die mobile communication unit according to an embodiment; which can be packaged in its own package or which can be FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a 40 integrated with the semiconductor die 1 in one package. mobile communication unit according to an embodiment; According to a further embodiment, the modem unit 10 may FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a further comprise a radio frequency (RF) transceiver unit elec mobile communication unit according to an embodiment; and trically coupled to the baseband unit. In one embodiment the FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for producing radio frequency transceiver unit can be fabricated on another a mobile communication unit according to an embodiment. 45 semiconductor die which can be packaged in its own package. The radio frequency transceiver unit can also be fabricated DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION together with the baseband unit on a single (monolithic) semi conductor die. This semiconductor die can be packaged in its In the following, one or more aspects and embodiments of own package or it can be packaged together with the semi the invention are described with reference to the drawings, 50 conductor die 1 in one single package. These embodiments wherein like reference numerals are generally utilized to refer will be explained in more detail further below in connection to like elements throughout. In the following description, for with FIG. 6. purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set According to one embodiment of the modem unit 10 of forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or FIG. 1, in the embedded flash memory 3 one or more of more aspects of embodiments of the invention. It may be 55 calibration data, network parameters, security data and debug evident, however, to one skilled in the art that one or more data are stored. As will be explained further below, the aspects of the embodiment of the invention may be practiced modem unit 10 can be part of a mobile communication unit. with a lesser degree of these specific details. In other During production of the mobile communication unit, cali instances, known structures and devices are shown in block bration data like, for example, radio frequency calibration diagram form in order to facilitate describing one or more 60 data are generated which can be stored in the embedded flash aspects of the embodiments of the invention. The following memory 3. Moreover, during operation of the mobile com description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense, and munication unit, security data, debug information and param the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. eters of the communication network are generated and peri In addition, while a particular feature or aspect of an odically updated, wherein those parameters can also be stored embodiment may be disclosed with respect to only one of 65 in the embedded flash memory 3. several implementations. Such features or aspects may be According to one embodiment of the modem unit 10 of combined with one or more other features or aspects of the FIG. 1, the power management unit 2 and the embedded flash US 8, 102,202 B2 3 4 memory 3 can be processed on the semiconductor die 1 by a (MP3 player, etc.) or address book functions.