Mfg. method for wireless communication devices employing potentially different versions of integrated circuits

Abstract

During production, a wireless communications device manufacturer determines the version of specific integrated circuits being used by interpreting the response signals generated by the integrated circuits in response to an electronic query. The device manufacturer preferably establishes a cross reference list of response signals and computer chip versions for the affected computer chip type. Each integrated circuit chip manufacturer then designs and manufactures their respective integrated circuit chips to generate their corresponding response signal when a particular predetermined query is received by the chip. During subsequent device production, a factory system is connected to the device and sends the query signal. The computer chip detects this query and, in response, the integrated circuit generates the pre-defined response signal. The factory system compares this generated response signal to the cross-reference list of assigned response signals to determine the integrated circuit version being used. The factory system then selects the appropriate factory settings based on the integrated circuit version identified and loads those factory settings into the wireless communications device. In addition, the factory system may optionally send an activation code to the integrated circuit chip based on the version of integrated circuit chip identified to enable the additional function available on that version of integrated circuit chip.

Description

technical field [0001] This invention relates to the art of manufacturing wireless communication devices, and in particular to manufacturing wireless communication devices incorporating one or more integrated circuit chips which may be from any of a number of different manufacturers and / or have varying degrees of modification method. technical background [0002] In wireless communication devices, the same performance cannot usually be obtained with different versions of the same integrated circuit chip. Changes in these properties may result in undesired deviations from the overall performance of the product. For example, wireless communication devices such as cellular telephones typically use application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips to handle incoming and outgoing radio transmissions. During the production of wireless communication devices, ASIC chips of the same type may be modified to varying degrees by the same chip manufacturer and / o...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, this approach may require significant space on the externally visible portion of the IC chip, which may not always be possible as IC chips become smaller

In addition, marking may also increase the cost of integrated circuit chips

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