Method of and apparatus for achieving “watch dog” functions in microcontrollers and microcomputers and the like, required to shut down for extended periods of time for energy-conservation purposes
US6996732B2 · kind B2 · utility
8Cited by
6References
6Claims
0Family size
Assignee
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Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 7, 2002 |
| Grant date | Feb 7, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 29, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/0757
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A watchdog timer circuit modified to operate during periods of microcomputer shut-down or sleeping, as for energy conservation purposes, controlled by an independent external rectangular-wave signal for inhibiting watchdog timer reset signal generation for the microcomputer during such shut-down periods and until a wake-up signal is generated at the end of such microcomputer sleeping, whereupon the watchdog circuit will generate a reset signal in the absence of proper microcomputer operation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.