Method and system for broadband near-field communication (BNC) utilizing full spectrum capture (FSC) supporting concurrent charging and communication

• US 10,051,406 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2012
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entropic Communications, LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Inventors: Ling, Curtis, Gallagher, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Junpeng
• Application Number:
  US13/726,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20130210347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18517 Transmission equipment in earth stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A charging device includes an integrated broadband transceiver that is operable to communicate wireless signals at a power level that is below a spurious emissions mask. The wireless signals are communicated over a designated frequency spectrum band via one or more antennas. The wireless signals convey data between the charging device and a communication device via one or more usable channels within the frequency spectrum band utilized by the integrated broadband transceiver. Concurrent with the communicating, charging of the communication device occurs. One or more usable channels within the frequency spectrum band utilized by the integrated broadband transceiver may be detected. The charging and the communication of the wireless signals occurs currently on the same ones or different ones of the one or more antennas. The detected one or more usable channels may be aggregated and utilized for the communication by the integrated broadband transceiver.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

performing by a near field communications tag that supports a passive mode and comprises a control unit, a modulator, and a demodulator;

communicating, by said near field communications tag, wireless signals at a power level that is below a spurious emissions mask, wherein;

said wireless signals are communicated over a designated frequency spectrum band via one or more antennas;

said wireless signals convey data between said near field communications tag and a first device via one or more usable channels within said frequency spectrum band;

during transmission, said one or more usable channels are generated digitally by the near field communications tag, and

during reception, said frequency spectrum band is digitized by the near field communications tag prior to frequency conversion;

concurrent with said communicating, making energy harvested from said wireless signals available via one or more conductors such that said energy may be used by a second device; and

pairing said near field communications tag with said second device.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

detecting said one or more usable channels within said frequency spectrum band utilized by said near field communications tag; and

aggregating said detected one or more usable channels for said communicating by said near field communications tag.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising coupling a battery of said second device via said one or more conductors to enable charging.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising configuring said near field communications tag with security levels during said pairing.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising communicating said data with said first device based on a selected one of said security levels.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising storing, in memory of said near field communications tag, information for configuring a WiFi transceiver that is integrated into a third device along with said near field communications tag.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising storing, in memory of said near field communications tag, information for configuring a Bluetooth transceiver that is integrated into a third device along with said near field communications tag.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second device comprises a WiFi radio.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second device comprises a Bluetooth radio.

10. A system, comprising:

a near field communications tag that supports a passive mode and comprises a control unit, a modulator, and a demodulator, said near field communications tag being operable to;

communicate wireless signals at a power level that is below a spurious emissions mask, wherein;

said wireless signals are communicated over a designated frequency spectrum band via one or more antennas;

said wireless signals convey data between said field communications tag and a first device via one or more usable channels within said frequency spectrum band;

during transmission, said one or more usable channels are generated digitally by the near field communications tag, and

during reception, said frequency spectrum band is digitized by the near field communications tag prior to frequency conversion;

concurrent with said communicating, make energy harvested from said wireless signals available via one or more conductors such that said energy may be used by a second device; and

pair said near field communications tag with said second device.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said near field communications tag is operable to:

detect said one or more usable channels within said frequency spectrum band utilized by said near field communications tag; and

aggregate said detected one or more usable channels for said communicating by said near field communications tag.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein said near field communications tag is operable to charge a battery of said second device-through said one or more conductors.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein said near field communications tag is operable to configure said an integrated broadband transceiver with security levels during pairing.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to communicate said data with said first device based on a selected one of said security levels.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein said near field communications tag comprises memory operable to store information for configuration of a WiFi transceiver that is integrated into a third device along with said near field communications tag.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein said near field communications tag comprises memory operable to store information for configuration of a Bluetooth transceiver that is integrated into a third device along with said near field communications tag.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein said second device comprises a WiFi radio.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein said second device comprises a Bluetooth radio.