Dallas Semiconductor Corporation

Guenter H Lehmann

William L Payne, Ii

Michael L Bolan

Stephen M Curry

Kevin E Deierling

Robert D Lee

Donald R Dias

Gary V Zanders

Hal Kurkowski

A method of communicating information between a host device and a potentially portable module device which measures thermal accumulation over time via a temperature controlled counter. The temperature controlled counter may operate using substantially Arrhenius' law. The host device communicates with the portable module via a single wire bidirectional data bus. The single wire bus and one-wire communication protocol allows data flow between a host and a plurality of devices connected to the single wire bus. The single wire bus allows for a great versatility of uses for the portable module.

Method of communicating over a single wire bus between a host device and

A communication module comprises a substantially token-shaped body with first and second electrically conductive surface areas. The first and second surface areas are electrically isolated from each other and circuitry is positioned in the cavity within the substantially token-shaped body, and has connections to said first and second areas. The substantially token-shaped body has a perimeter around it. The first and second electrically conductive surface areas form a substantial portion of the substantially token-shaped body. The first and second electrically conductive surface areas form a cavity. One of the surface areas forming a flange around the perimeter of the substantially token-shaped body. The flange preferably resides in one geometric plane. The circuitry provides for the receipt and transmission of digital signals that are determined as voltage differences between said first and second areas. The circuitry preferably includes a capacitor for storing energy from said voltage intermittently applied between the first and second areas, so that the circuit is powered by a battery within said body. The first area comprises one flat face of the body and the second area comprises a second flat face parallel to said one flat face plus a portion of a curved surface which is perpendicular to said flat faces. The circuitry includes (1) a voltage level detector coupled to the first and second areas for receiving signals applied as voltage differences between the first and second areas and (2) a switch connecting the first and second areas for sending signals by changing the resistance between the first and second areas. The voltage level detector preferably detects only two levels.

Communication module

A printer port adapter which permits electronic keys to be accessed through the printer port of the PC, without disrupting the normal operation of the printer port in any mode of operation whatsoever. The electronic keys used have a one-wire signal interface, and this interface can be inserted into the full standard ISA printer port pin assignment, as well as the all known nonstandard additional assignments which have been overlaid onto the standard printer port.

Printer port adapter with overlaid one-wire interface for electronic key

A transceiver (100) for TTL and RS232 communication with automatic sensing (130) of the type of input and adjustment of the output to correspond together with current stealing (131) from the input communication lines to provide extreme voltages for transmission. Hysteresis and surge suppression are built into the sensing.

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Guenter H Lehmann