The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 01, 2005
Filed:
Sep. 24, 2003
Pascal Janin, Tullins, FR;
Michael Giovannini, Grenoble, FR;
Corinne Ianigro, Grenoble, FR;
STMicroelectronics SA, Montrouge, FR;
Abstract
A method for operating a watchdog timer associated with a microcontroller that generates refresh commands for the watchdog timer is provided. The refresh commands are separated by a time interval within a predetermined range. The method includes receiving the refresh commands by the watchdog timer, and generating a microcontroller reset command by the watchdog timer when a time interval separating successively received refresh commands is not within the predetermined range. In particular, the generating includes staring a refresh countdown on each receipt of a refresh command by the watchdog timer. A reset countdown is started if the refresh countdown has timed out, and if the refresh countdown has not timed out when a next refresh command is received, then the next refresh command does not restart the reset countdown. The microcontroller reset command is generated if the reset countdown has timed out.