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US 7,256,611 B2Granted
Cross-bar matrix with LCD functionality
AssigneeSilicon Laboratories Inc.
InventorsDouglas R. Holberg, Kenneth W. Fernald
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cross-bar matrix includes a plurality of matrix cells arranged in rows and columns wherein each row of cells is associated with a signal input and each column of cells is associated with a common signal output. An enable input controls whether at least a portion of the cells couple a signal on the associated common signal input to a signal output associated with a cell or couple an LCD signal to a signal output and exclude control of the at least portion of said plurality of cells by the control input.
Claims34
A circuit for assigning digital resources and a liquid crystal display (LCD) driver to pins of an integrated circuit, comprising:
- a plurality of pins of said integrated circuit;
- a microprocessor formed in said integrated circuit;
- a plurality of digital resources formed in said integrated circuit having a plurality of digital resource outputs, one or more thereof uniquely associated with each of said digital resources;
- an LCD driver formed in said integrated circuit and having a plurality of LCD driver outputs;
- and
- a cross-bar matrix having a plurality of cross-bar matrix signal inputs coupled respectively to said digital resource outputs and said LCD driver outputs, and a plurality of cross-bar matrix signal outputs coupled to said integrated circuit pins, said cross-bar matrix controlled by said microprocessor for coupling said ones of said cross-bar matrix signal inputs to different ones of said cross-bar matrix signal outputs, whereby said digital resource outputs and said LCD driver outputs can be coupled selectively to different pins under control of said microprocessor and with said cross-bar matrix configured to uniquely associate each of said LCD driver outputs with only one of said cross-bar matrix outputs and, when the functionality of said LCD driver is coupled to said pins, said digital resources are restricted from being coupled to any cross-bar matrix signal outputs coupled to said LCD driver outputs;
- and
- wherein said digital resource outputs and said LCD driver outputs occupy a sum total of said cross-bar matrix inputs to said cross-bar matrix that exceeds the number of said cross-bar matrix signal outputs thereof.
5 more elements
A cross-bar matrix, comprising:
- a plurality of matrix cells arranged in rows and columns, each said row of cells associated with a common signal input, and each column of cells associated with a common signal output;
- each said cell having a control input for controlling whether the cell is to couple a signal on the associated common signal input to a common signal output associated with the cell, whereby select ones of the common signal inputs of a row can be coupled to a select one of the common signal outputs;
- and
- an enable input for controlling whether at least a portion of said plurality of cells couple select signals on the associated common signal input to an associated common signal output associated with the respective cell or couple a plurality of liquid crystal display (LCD) drive signals on a corresponding plurality of the common signal inputs to corresponding and respective signal outputs associated with the respective cell;
- wherein each of said LCD drive signals is uniquely associated with a defined one of the columns and the associated common signal output such that only a single matrix cell is required for the row associated with the common signal input associated with a respective one of the LCD drive signals;
- wherein the enable input, when selecting the plurality of LCD signals on the corresponding plurality of common signal inputs, restricts any of the other of the common signal inputs from being connected to the ones of the common signal outputs associated with the LCD drive signal, wherein the enable input is operable to dedicate that portion of the matrix cells associated with the LCD drive signals to a LCD functionality, but where the ones of the matrix cells restricted from being connected to the ones of the common signal outputs associated with the LCD functionality can still be associated with other of the common signal inputs.
3 more elements
A circuit for assigning digital resources and a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) driver to pins of an integrated circuit, comprising:
- a cross-bar matrix having a plurality of signal inputs coupled respectively to said digital resources and the output of said LCD driver, and a plurality of signal outputs coupled to the integrated circuit pins, said cross-bar matrix controlled by said microprocessor for coupling said ones of said signal inputs to different said signal outputs, whereby said digital resources and LCD driver can be coupled to different pins under control of said microprocessor but where the LCD driver has a plurality of LCD drive outputs, each having a predetermined and unique association with predetermined ones of the different pins, whereby said digital resources are restricted from being coupled to any signal outputs coupled to the LCD driver outputs after coupling of the LCD driver thereto, such that coupling of the LCD driver to the predetermined ones of the pins removes such from being available for connection to said digital resources.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.