Method and device for selecting the operating mode of an integrated circuit
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsZahra Claude, Yannick Teglia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for selecting an operating mode of an integrated circuit, comprising a ROM storing at least one predetermined value formed of data words, a non-volatile programmable memory controllable to store said predetermined value, a comparator indicating how many data words of the value stored in the programmable memory are identical to the data words of the predetermined value, and a control means deactivating a selection signal for selecting the operating mode when the number of identical words is greater than a predetermined threshold.
Claims28
A device for selecting an operating mode of an integrated circuit, comprising:
- a ROM storing at least one predetermined value formed of data words;
- a non-volatile programmable memory controllable to store said predetermined value;
- a comparator indicating how many data words of the value stored in the programmable memory are identical to the data words of the predetermined value;
- and
- control means deactivating a selection signal for selecting the operating mode when the number of identical words is greater than a predetermined threshold.
A method for selecting an operating mode of an integrated circuit between a reserved mode and a user mode, comprising:
- a) determining how many data words of a value stored in a non-volatile programmable memory of the circuit are identical to data words of at least one predetermined value stored in a ROM of the circuit;
- and
- b) selecting the user mode when the number of identical words is greater than a predetermined threshold.
A device for selecting an operating mode of an integrated circuit, comprising:
- a read-only memory configured to store at least one predetermined value including data words;
- a non-volatile programmable memory configured to store the predetermined value in response to a control signal;
- a comparator configured to indicate a number of data words in the programmable memory that are identical to the data words of the predetermined value;
- and
- a control circuit configured to deactivate a mode select signal when the number of identical words indicated by the comparator is greater than a predetermined threshold.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a mode select device for selecting an operating mode of the integrated circuit, comprising:
- a read-only memory configured to store at least one predetermined value including data words;
- a non-volatile programmable memory configured to store the predetermined value in response to a control signal;
- a comparator configured to indicate a number of data words in the programmable memory that are identical to the data words of the predetermined value;
- and
- a control circuit configured to deactivate a mode select signal when the number of identical words indicated by the comparator is greater than a predetermined threshold;
- and
- a functional block for providing the control signal to the mode select device and configured to operate in different operating modes according to a state of the mode select signal.
A method for selecting an operating mode of an integrated circuit, comprising:
- storing in a read-only memory at least one predetermined value of data words;
- storing the predetermined value in a non-volatile programmable memory in response to a control signal;
- determining a number of data words in the programmable memory that are identical to the data words of the predetermined value;
- and
- deactivating a mode select signal when the determined number of identical data words is greater than a predetermined threshold.
A device for selecting an operating mode of an integrated circuit, comprising:
- a read-only memory storing at least one predetermined value of data words;
- a non-volatile programmable memory storing the predetermined value in response to a control signal;
- means for determining a number of data words in the programmable memory that are identical to the data words of the predetermined value;
- and
- means for deactivating a mode select signal when the determined number of identical data words in greater than a predetermined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.