Appeal No. 2002-1173
Application No. 09/510,640
BACKGROUND
Appellants’ invention is directed to a method for monitoring
the proper functioning of an integrated circuit by signaling dips
in the supply voltage. The integrated circuit operations which
are influenced by the dip in the supply voltage and may have
proceeded with errors, are repeated after the dip ends
(specification, pages 4 & 5). The circuit used to carry out the
monitoring of the supply voltage is designed such that an abrupt
rise in its output indicates a dip in the supply voltage
prompting improper operation of the IC (specification, page 11).
Upon detection of the dip, the repetition of the specific
operation that was affected during the disturbance is initiated
after the dip ends and the supply voltage goes back to its normal
level (specification, page 12).
Independent claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A method for monitoring a proper functioning of an
integrated circuit, the method which comprises:
monitoring a supply voltage of an integrated circuit;
ascertaining a dip in the supply voltage;
effecting a signaling of the dip in the supply voltage only
if the supply voltage falls below a given voltage for a given
minimum duration; and
repeating operations of the integrated circuit which are
supplied by the supply voltage and have been influenced by the
2
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