Passif Semiconductor 有什么背景，收购它能给苹果公司带来什么？

Passif Semiconductor 是一家于 2007 年在加州奥兰克成立的半导体公司，生产低功耗小体积的交换式无线收发器，创始人是 Ben Cook 和 Axel Berny，前者任 CEO 后者任 CTO。

Axel Berny 创办 Passif 之前曾在 Maxim Integrated Products 工作过，在无线团队任设计工程师，后来在

担任射频和混合信号设计工程师（SiPort 主要生产低功耗的 HD Radio 接收器，2011 年被 Intel 收购）。

而 Ben Cook 则一直在加州大学伯克利分校修读博士学位，和 Axel 研究同一个课题，在 2006 年一起发表论文

，不久之后便在此研究之上创办 Passif 半导体公司。2008 年获 Khosla Ventures 投资 $1.6 million，之后几年苹果有尝试过接触商量收购，价位在数千万上下，但没有谈下来。所以这次的价格应该只会更高。

提供单芯片 Bluetooth low battery 解决方案的厂商还有德州仪器（旗下 Texas Instruments CC256x 系列芯片被 Nikia FuelBand 和 Pebble 智能腕表等产品采用），Murata，Nordic Semiconductor 等公司，但这些公司都不小。所以如果苹果想要在低功耗芯片方面有所积累，以便在新产品（譬如说 iWatch 如何）的某些关键指标（功耗）取得优势，Passif 是非常合适的收购对象。

另外 Passif 手上有一个重要专利：

（被动天线接收器）

A passive wireless receiver to receive an input signal and passively process the input signal to generate an output signal. An embodiment of the receiver includes an input circuit, a dynamic switching circuit, and a switch signal generator. The input circuit is configured to receive an input signal and produce a first output signal. The input circuit includes a passive network configured to condition the input signal. The dynamic switching circuit is configured to perform frequency translation on the first output signal. The switch signal generator is configured to drive the dynamic switching circuit to activate and deactivate the dynamic switching circuit at a sampling frequency that is controlled and stabilized by a frequency control circuit.

还有一个专利申请，描述一个可以不需要电池，靠电磁转换便能储能自行运作的天线系统：

An autonomous battery-free microwave frequency communication device which includes a capacitance, at least one antenna, a microwave energy harvesting system, a microwave frequency transceiver, and a control system. The energy harvesting system is configured to harvest and store microwave energy received via the antenna onto the capacitance. The transceiver is empowered by energy stored on the capacitance, and is configured to autonomously generate a microwave frequency carrier and to autonomously transmit information using the microwave frequency carrier according to a predetermined communications protocol via the antenna. The control system is empowered by energy stored on the capacitance, and is configured to provide information for transmission. Energy may be harvested from various communication forms, such as wireless network protocols or cellular communications. The frequency band from which energy is harvested may differ from the frequency band used for communications. The energy storage enables autonomous communications with external devices according to common or standard wireless communication protocols.

相关补充和链接：

1. iPhone 5 用的蓝牙芯片是 Murata 的 SoC 339S0171，包含 Broadcom BCM4334，支持 802.11n 和 Bluetooth 4.0+HS & FM Receiver，即所谓的 Bluetooth + WLAN 解决方案。现在的大多数智能手机也皆是如此。

2. Passif 两个创始人的 Linked 主页:

and

3. 最先报道这次收购案的是前华尔街日报记者:

4. 低功耗蓝牙芯片也可以应用在类似 tile 那样的周边产品之上，用普通纽扣电池驱动的话，可以维持十年运作

5. Passif 公司名字也就是 Passive 的法语