Patent Publication Number: US-8994481-B2

Title: Thin film resonator for wireless power transmission

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0124267, filed on Dec. 14, 2009, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The following description relates to a wireless power transmission system, and more particularly, to a thin film resonator for wireless power transmission. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Recently, techniques for wireless power transmission are attracting an increasing amount of attention. Particularly, it would be favorable to supply power wirelessly to various types of mobile devices such as a cell phone, a laptop computer, an MP3 player, and the like. One technique for wireless power transmission includes the use of a resonance characteristic of a radio frequency (RF) device. 
     A wireless power transmission system using the resonance characteristic may include a source to supply power and a destination to receive the power. In this example, when the destination is a mobile device, the source and the destination may be located close to each other. Therefore, in the wireless power transmission system including a resonator, the resonator needs to have a short power transmission length. In order to provide the short power transmission length, the resonator may have a large form factor. 
     A physical size of the resonator for the wireless power transmission with the large form factor may be relatively large and the power transmission efficiency may be relatively low. In a general resonator for the wireless power transmission, a resonance frequency may depend on the physical size of the resonator. This may be a barrier for reducing the size of the resonator for the wireless power transmission. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one general aspect, there is provided a resonator for a wireless power transmission, the resonator comprising a first transmission line unit provided as a thin film type, a second transmission line unit provided as the thin film type, and a capacitor that is inserted at a predetermined position of the first transmission line unit. 
     The capacitor may be configured such that the thin film resonator has a property of a metamaterial. 
     The capacitor may be configured such that the thin film resonator has a zero magnetic permeability or a negative magnetic permeability at a target frequency. 
     The first transmission line unit and the second transmission line unit may be configured to form a stacked structure. 
     The stacked structure of the first transmission line unit and the second transmission line unit may comprise a ferromagnetic substance or a magneto-dielectric structure. 
     The resonator may further comprise a micro-strip line to supply an electric current to the first transmission line unit. 
     The resonator may further comprise a bonding layer to bond the resonator to an object. 
     In one general aspect, there is provided a resonator for a wireless power transmission, the resonator comprising a transmission line unit provided as a thin film type, a second transmission line unit provided as the thin film type, an opening between the firs transmission line unit and the second transmission line unit, and a capacitor inserted in the opening between the first transmission line unit and the second transmission line unit. 
     The first transmission line unit may comprise one or more vias disposed near the opening and the second transmission line unit may comprise one or more vias disposed near the opening. 
     Other features and aspects may be apparent from the following description, the drawings, and the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless power transmission system. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an example of a thin film resonator for wireless power transmission. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view illustrating an example of a thin film resonator. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view illustrating an example of a second transmission line unit. 
         FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  are diagrams illustrating examples of a thin film resonator. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating an example of a first transmission line unit that may be included in the thin film resonator of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings and the description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals should be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience. 
     DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein may be suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. Also, description of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness. 
     As described herein, for example, the transmitter may be, or may be included in, a terminal, such as a mobile terminal, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an MP3 player, and the like. As another example, the receiver described herein may be, or may be included in, a terminal, such as a mobile terminal, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an MP3 player, and the like. As another example, the transmitter and/or the receiver may be a separate individual unit. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a wireless power transmission system. 
     For example, wireless power transmitted using the wireless power transmission system may be referred to as resonance power. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the wireless power transmission system includes a source-target structure including a source and a target. In this example, the wireless power transmission system includes a resonance power transmitter  110  corresponding to the source and a resonance power receiver  120  corresponding to the target. 
     The resonance power transmitter  110  includes a source unit  111  and a source resonator  115 . The source unit  111  may receive energy from an external voltage supplier to generate a resonance power. The resonance power transmitter  110  may further include a matching control  113  to perform resonance frequency or impedance matching. 
     For example, the source unit  111  may include an alternating current (AC)-to-AC (AC/AC) converter, an AC-to-direct current (DC) (AC/DC) converter, and a (DC/AC) inverter. The AC/AC converter may adjust, to a desired level, a signal level of an AC signal input from an external device. The AC/DC converter may output a DC voltage at a predetermined level by rectifying an AC signal output from the AC/AC converter. The DC/AC inverter may generate an AC signal frequency of, for example, a few megahertz (MHz) band, tens of MHz band, and the like, by quickly switching a DC voltage output from the AC/DC converter. 
     The matching control  113  may set at least one of a resonance bandwidth of the source resonator  115  and an impedance matching frequency of the source resonator  115 . Although not illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the matching control  113  may include at least one of a source resonance bandwidth setting unit and a source matching frequency setting unit. The source resonance bandwidth setting unit may set the resonance bandwidth of the source resonator  115 . The source matching frequency setting unit may set the impedance matching frequency of the source resonator  115 . For example, a Q-factor of the source resonator  115  may be determined based on the setting of the resonance bandwidth of the source resonator  115  and/or the setting of the impedance matching frequency of the source resonator  115 . 
     The source resonator  115  may transfer electromagnetic energy to a target resonator  121 . For example, the source resonator  115  may transfer the resonance power to the resonance power receiver  120  through magnetic coupling  101  with a target resonator  121 . The source resonator  115  may resonate within the set resonance bandwidth. 
     The resonance power receiver  120  includes the target resonator  121 , a matching control  123  to perform resonance frequency or impedance matching, and a target unit  125  to transfer the received resonance power to a load. 
     The target resonator  121  may receive the electromagnetic energy from the source resonator  115 . The target resonator  121  may resonate within the set resonance bandwidth. 
     For example, the matching control  123  may set at least one of a resonance bandwidth of the target resonator  121  and an impedance matching frequency of the target resonator  121 . Although not illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the matching control  123  may include at least one of a target resonance bandwidth setting unit and a target matching frequency setting unit. The target resonance bandwidth setting unit may set the resonance bandwidth of the target resonator  121 . The target matching frequency setting unit may set the impedance matching frequency of the target resonator  121 . For example, a Q-factor of the target resonator  121  may be determined based on the setting of the resonance bandwidth of the target resonator  121  and/or the setting of the impedance matching frequency of the target resonator  121 . 
     The target unit  125  may transfer the received resonance power to the load. For example, the target unit  125  may include an AC/DC converter and a DC/DC converter. The AC/DC converter may generate a DC voltage by rectifying an AC signal transmitted from the source resonator  115  to the target resonator  121 . The DC/DC converter may supply a rated voltage to a device or a load by adjusting a voltage level of the DC voltage. 
     For example, the source resonator  115  and the target resonator  121  may be configured in a helix coil structured resonator, a spiral coil structured resonator, a meta-structured resonator, and the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a process of controlling the Q-factor may include setting the resonance bandwidth of the source resonator  115  and the resonance bandwidth of the target resonator  121 , and transferring the electromagnetic energy from the source resonator  115  to the target resonator  121  through magnetic coupling  101  between the source resonator  115  and the target resonator  121 . For example, the resonance bandwidth of the source resonator  115  may be set wider or narrower than the resonance bandwidth of the target resonator  121 . For example, an unbalanced relationship between a bandwidth (BW)-factor of the source resonator  115  and a BW-factor of the target resonator  121  may be maintained by setting the resonance bandwidth of the source resonator  115  to be wider or narrower than the resonance bandwidth of the target resonator  121 . 
     In a wireless power transmission system employing a resonance scheme, the resonance bandwidth may be an important factor. When the Q-factor considering a change in a distance between the source resonator  115  and the target resonator  121 , a change in the resonance impedance, impedance mismatching, a reflected signal, and the like, is Qt, Qt may have an inverse-proportional relationship with the resonance bandwidth, as given by Equation 1. 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           
                             Δ 
                             ⁢ 
                             
                                 
                             
                             ⁢ 
                             f 
                           
                           
                             f 
                             0 
                           
                         
                         = 
                         
                           1 
                           Qt 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                   
                     
                       
                         = 
                         
                           
                             Γ 
                             
                               S 
                               , 
                               D 
                             
                           
                           + 
                           
                             1 
                             
                               BW 
                               S 
                             
                           
                           + 
                           
                             1 
                             
                               BW 
                               D 
                             
                           
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   [ 
                   
                     Equation 
                     ⁢ 
                     
                         
                     
                     ⁢ 
                     1 
                   
                   ] 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     In Equation 1, f 0  denotes a central frequency, Δf denotes a change in bandwidth, Γ S, D  denotes a reflection loss between the source resonator  115  and the target resonator  121 , BW s  denotes the resonance bandwidth of the source resonator  115 , and BW D  denotes the resonance bandwidth of the target resonator  121 . For example, the BW-factor may indicate either 1/BW s  or 1/BW D . 
     Due to an external effect, impedance mismatching between the source resonator  115  and the target resonator  121  may occur. For example, a change in the distance between the source resonator  115  and the target resonator  121 , a change in a location of at least one of the source resonator  115  and the target resonator  121 , and the like, may cause impedance mismatching between the source resonator  115  and the target resonator  121  to occur. The impedance mismatching may be a direct cause in decreasing an efficiency of power transfer. 
     When a reflected wave corresponding to a transmission signal that is partially reflected by the target and returned towards the source is detected, the matching control  113  may determine that impedance mismatching has occurred, and may perform impedance matching. For example, the matching control  113  may change a resonance frequency by detecting a resonance point through a waveform analysis of the reflected wave. The matching control  113  may determine, as the resonance frequency, a frequency having a minimum amplitude in the waveform of the reflected wave. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example of a thin film resonator for wireless power transmission. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the thin film resonator for wireless power transmission includes a transmission line unit  210  and a capacitor  220 . The resonator may further include a feeding unit  230 . 
     The transmission line unit  210  may be provided in a thin film type, and may form a stacked structure for a strong magnetic field coupling. By forming vias at both ends  201  and  203  of the transmission line unit  210  including the capacitor  220 , the transmission line unit  210  may be configured in a stacked structure. For example, a via may be a hole, a trench, an opening, and the like. The stacked structure is further described referring to  FIG. 3 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the transmission line unit  210  may include a first transmission line unit  211  provided as a thin film type and a second transmission line unit  213  provided as a thin film type. 
     The capacitor  220  may be inserted into a predetermined position of the first transmission line unit  211 . For example, the capacitor  220  may be inserted in series into any portion of the first transmission line unit  211 . An electric field generated in the resonator may be confined within the capacitor  220 . 
     The capacitor  220  may be inserted into the first transmission line unit  211  in the shape of a lumped element and a distributed element, for example, in the shape of an interdigital capacitor or a gap capacitor with a substrate that has a relatively high permittivity in the middle. As the capacitor  220  is inserted into the first transmission line unit  211 , the resonator may have a property of a metamaterial. 
     The metamaterial indicates a material having a predetermined electrical property that has not been discovered in nature, and thus, may have an artificially designed structure. An electromagnetic characteristic of the materials existing in nature may have a unique magnetic permeability or a unique permittivity. Most materials may have a positive magnetic permeability or a positive permittivity. In the case of most materials, a right hand rule may be applied to an electric field, a magnetic field, and a pointing vector, and thus, the corresponding materials may be referred to as right handed materials (RHMs). However, a metamaterial has a magnetic permeability or a permittivity less than “1,” and thus, may be classified into an epsilon negative (ENG) material, a mu negative (MNG) material, a double negative (DNG) material, a negative refractive index (NRI) material, a left-handed (LH) material, and the like, based on a sign of the corresponding permittivity or magnetic permeability. 
     When a capacitance of the capacitor  220  inserted as the lumped element is appropriately determined, the resonator may have the characteristic of a metamaterial. Because the resonator may have a zero or negative magnetic permeability by adjusting the capacitance of the capacitor  220 , the resonator may be referred to as an MNG resonator provided as a thin film type. 
     The MNG resonator of the thin film type may have a zeroth order resonance characteristic that has, as a resonance frequency, a frequency when a propagation constant is “0”. For example, a zeroth order resonance characteristic may be a frequency transmitted through a line or a medium that has a propagation constant of “0.” Because the MNG resonator of the thin film type may have the zeroth order resonance characteristic, the resonance frequency may be independent with respect to a physical size of the MNG resonator of the thin film type. By appropriately designing the capacitor  220 , the MNG resonator of the thin film type may sufficiently change the resonance frequency. Accordingly, the physical size of the MNG resonator of the thin film type may does not need to be changed. 
     In a near field, the electric field may be concentrated on the series capacitor  220  inserted into the first transmission line unit  211 . Accordingly, due to the series capacitor  220 , the magnetic field may become dominant in the near field. 
     The MNG resonator of the thin film type may have a relatively high Q-factor using the capacitor  220  of the lumped element, and thus, it is possible to enhance an efficiency of power transmission. 
     The feeding unit  230  may be configured in the shape of a micro-strip line that supplies current to the first transmission line unit  211 . Accordingly, the thin film resonator may have a structure in which a matcher for impedance matching is not needed. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an example of a thin film resonator. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the thin film resonator may be configured in a stacked structure to induce a strong magnetic coupling. A second transmission line unit  213  may be stacked on a first transmission line unit  211  such that the strong magnetic coupling is induced. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the thin film resonator may be configured in a stacked structure through a via  1 , a via  2 , and a via  3 . The stacked structure may further include a plurality of layers of conducting layers  301  and  303 . For example, referring to  FIG. 4 , the second transmission line unit  213  does not have the same structure as a structure of the first transmission line unit  211 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , for example, the second transmission line unit  213  may include a via for the stacked structure at both ends  401  and  403 . 
     The thin film resonator may include a dielectric material layer  340  between the first transmission line unit  211  and the second transmission line unit  213 . For example, the dielectric material layer  340  may be designed so that a magnetic field of the thin film resonator is increased. For example, the dielectric material layer  340  may include a ferromagnetic substance or a magneto-dielectric structure. The ferromagnetic substance or the magneto-dielectric structure may increase a wireless power transmission effect. 
     A thin film resonator may be configured in various types. 
       FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  illustrate examples of a thin film resonator. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the thin film resonator includes a first transmission line unit  211 , a second transmission line unit  213 , a capacitor  340 , and a bonding layer  550 . 
     The bonding layer  550  may include a material that may bond the thin film resonator to an object. For example, the thin film resonator may be attached to a cover of a portable device. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the thin film resonator includes a first transmission line unit  211 , a second transmission line unit  213 , and a substrate layer  660 . For example, the substrate layer  660  may be a printed circuit board (PCB) with which a portable device is equipped. For example, the thin film resonator of  FIG. 6  may be incorporated in a portable device. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an example of a first transmission line unit that may be included in the thin film resonator of  FIG. 2   
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the first transmission line unit  700  includes a transmission line, a capacitor  720 , a matcher  730 , and conductors  741  and  742 . The transmission line may include a first signal conducting portion  711 , a second signal conducting portion  712 , and a ground conducting portion  713 . 
     For example, the capacitor  720  may be inserted in series between the first signal conducting portion  711  and the second signal conducting portion  712 , and an electric field may be confined within the capacitor  720 . Generally, the transmission line may include at least one conductor in an upper portion of the transmission line, and may also include at least one conductor in a lower portion of the transmission line. Current may flow through the at least one conductor disposed in the upper portion of the transmission line, and the at least one conductor disposed in the lower portion of the transmission may be electrically grounded. For example, a conductor disposed in an upper portion of the transmission line may be separated into and referred to as the first signal conducting portion  711  and the second signal conducting portion  712 . A conductor disposed in the lower portion of the transmission line may be referred to as the ground conducting portion  713 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the first transmission line unit  700  may have a two-dimensional (2D) structure. For example, the transmission line may include the first signal conducting portion  711  and the second signal conducting portion  712  in the upper portion of the transmission line, and may include the ground conducting portion  713  in the lower portion of the transmission line. The first signal conducting portion  711  and the second signal conducting portion  712  may be disposed to face the ground conducting portion  713 . Current may flow through the first signal conducting portion  711  and the second signal conducting portion  712 . 
     One end of the first signal conducting portion  711  may be shorted to the conductor  742 , and another end of the first signal conducting portion  711  may be connected to the capacitor  720 . One end of the second signal conducting portion  712  may be grounded to the conductor  741 , and another end of the second signal conducting portion  712  may be connected to the capacitor  720 . Accordingly, the first signal conducting portion  711 , the second signal conducting portion  712 , the ground conducting portion  713 , and the conductors  741  and  742  may be connected to each other such that the first transmission line unit  700  has an electrically closed-loop structure. The term “loop structure” may include a polygonal structure, for example, a circular structure, a rectangular structure, and the like. “Having a loop structure” may indicate a circuit that is electrically closed. 
     The capacitor  720  may be inserted into an intermediate portion of the transmission line. For example, the capacitor  720  may be inserted into a space between the first signal conducting portion  711  and the second signal conducting portion  712 . The capacitor  720  may have a shape of a lumped element, a distributed element, and the like. For example, a distributed capacitor that has the shape of the distributed element may include zigzagged conductor lines and a dielectric material that has a relatively high permittivity between the zigzagged conductor lines. 
     When the capacitor  720  is inserted into the transmission line, the first transmission line unit  700  may have the property of a metamaterial. The metamaterial indicates a material having a predetermined electrical property that has not been discovered in nature and thus, may have an artificially designed structure. When a capacitance of the capacitor inserted as the lumped element is appropriately determined, the first transmission line unit  700  may have the characteristic of the metamaterial. Because the first transmission line unit  700  may have a negative magnetic permeability by adjusting the capacitance of the capacitor  720 , the first transmission line unit  700  may also be referred to as an MNG resonator. Various criteria may be applied to determine the capacitance of the capacitor  720 . For example, the various criteria may include a criterion for enabling the first transmission line unit  700  to have the characteristic of the metamaterial, a criterion for enabling the first transmission line unit  700  to have a negative magnetic permeability in a target frequency, a criterion for enabling the first transmission line unit  700  to have a zeroth order resonance characteristic in the target frequency, and the like. For example, the capacitance of the capacitor  720  may be determined based on at least one criterion. 
     The first transmission line unit  700 , also referred to as the MNG first transmission line unit  700 , may have a zeroth order resonance characteristic that has, as a resonance frequency, a frequency when a propagation constant is “0”. Because the first transmission line unit  700  may have the zeroth order resonance characteristic, the resonance frequency may be independent with respect to a physical size of the MNG first transmission line unit  700 . By appropriately designing the capacitor  720 , the MNG first transmission line unit  700  may sufficiently change the resonance frequency. Accordingly, the physical size of the MNG first transmission line unit  700  does not need to be changed. 
     In a near field, the electric field may be concentrated on the capacitor  720  inserted into the transmission line. Because of the capacitor  720 , the magnetic field may become dominant in the near field. The MNG first transmission line unit  700  may have a relatively high Q-factor using the capacitor  720  of the lumped element, and thus, it is possible to enhance an efficiency of power transmission. For example, the Q-factor may indicate a level of an ohmic loss or a ratio of a reactance with respect to a resistance in the wireless power transmission. It should be understood that the efficiency of the wireless power transmission may increase based on an increase in the Q-factor. 
     The MNG first transmission line unit  700  may include the matcher  730  for impedance matching. The matcher  730  may adjust a strength of a magnetic field of the MNG first transmission line unit  700 . An impedance of the MNG first transmission line unit  700  may be determined by the matcher  730 . Current may flow into and/or out of the MNG first transmission line unit  700  via a connector. For example, the connector may be connected to the ground conducting portion  713  or the matcher  730 . The power may be transferred through coupling without using a physical connection between the connector  740  and the ground conducting portion  713  or the matcher  730 . 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the matcher  730  may be positioned within the loop to formed by the loop structure of the first transmission line unit  700 . The matcher  730  may adjust the impedance of the first transmission line unit  700  by changing the physical shape of the matcher  730 . For example, the matcher  730  may include the conductor  731  for the impedance matching in a location that is separated from the ground conducting portion  713  by a distance h. The impedance of the first transmission line unit  700  may be changed by adjusting the distance h. 
     Although not illustrated in  FIG. 7 , a controller may be provided to control the matcher  730 . In this example, the matcher  730  may change the physical shape of the matcher  730  based on a control signal generated by the controller. For example, the distance h between the conductor  731  of the matcher  730  and the ground conducting portion  713  may increase or decrease based on the control signal. Accordingly, the physical shape of the matcher  730  may be changed and the impedance of the first transmission line unit  700  may be adjusted. The controller may generate the control signal based on various factors. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the matcher  730  may be configured as a passive element such as the conductor  731 . As another example, the matcher  730  may be configured as an active element such as a diode, a transistor, and the like. When the active element is included in the matcher  730 , the active element may be driven based on the control signal generated by the controller, and the impedance of the first transmission line unit  700  may be adjusted based on the control signal. For example, a diode that is a type of the active element may be included in the matcher  730 . The impedance of the first transmission line unit  700  may be adjusted based on whether the diode is in an ON state or in an OFF state. 
     Although a thin film resonator having a stacked structure with two layers is described, it should be appreciated that the thin film resonator may have a stacked structure with three or more layers. In the example of the stacked structure with three layers, while the resonator may be thicker, a transmission efficiency may increase because of an increased coupling of a magnetic field. 
     According to various examples, provided is an MNG resonator of a thin film type in which a resonance frequency does not depend on the size of the resonator. 
     According to various examples, provided is a thin film resonator in which an impedance matching circuit is not necessarily needed. 
     According to various examples, provided is a thin film resonator that is easy to carry and miniaturize, which may minimize a conductor loss, and which may increase a transmission efficiency. 
     The processes, functions, methods, and/or software described above may be recorded, stored, or fixed in one or more computer-readable storage media that includes program instructions to be implemented by a computer to cause a processor to execute or perform the program instructions. The media may also include, alone or in combination with the program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like. Examples of computer-readable storage media include magnetic media, such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD ROM disks and DVDs; magneto-optical media, such as optical disks; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform program instructions, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter. The described hardware devices may be configured to act as one or more software modules in order to perform the operations and methods described above, or vice versa. In addition, a computer-readable storage medium may be distributed among computer systems connected through a network and computer-readable codes or program instructions may be stored and executed in a decentralized manner. 
     As a non-exhaustive illustration only, the terminal device described herein may refer to mobile devices such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital camera, a portable game console, an MP3 player, a portable/personal multimedia player (PMP), a handheld e-book, a portable lab-top personal computer (PC), a global positioning system (GPS) navigation, and devices such as a desktop PC, a high definition television (HDTV), an optical disc player, a setup box, and the like, capable of wireless communication or network communication consistent with that disclosed herein. 
     A computing system or a computer may include a microprocessor that is electrically connected with a bus, a user interface, and a memory controller. It may further include a flash memory device. The flash memory device may store N-bit data via the memory controller. The N-bit data is processed or will be processed by the microprocessor and N may be 1 or an integer greater than 1. Where the computing system or computer is a mobile apparatus, a battery may be additionally provided to supply operation voltage of the computing system or computer. 
     It should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the computing system or computer may further include an application chipset, a camera image processor (CIS), a mobile Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), and the like. The memory controller and the flash memory device may constitute a solid state drive/disk (SSD) that uses a non-volatile memory to store data. 
     A number of examples have been described above. Nevertheless, it should be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.