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

• US 10,251,043 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2018
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entropic Communications, LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Inventors: Ling, Curtis, Gallagher, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Junpeng
• Application Number:
  US16/010,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20180295491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 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 near field communications (NFC) tag comprising:

a modulator operable to generate a digital radio frequency (RF) signal;

a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) operable to convert the digital RF signal to an analog RF signal for wireless transmission to a first device, wherein the analog RF signal is at a power level below a spurious emissions mask;

a digital demodulator operable to digitally downconvert a frequency spectrum of a wireless signal received from the first device; and

a control unit operable to provide harvested energy, from the wireless signal received from the first device, to a second device that is paired with the NFC tag.

2. The NFC tag of claim 1, wherein the control unit is operable to detect one or more usable channels within a frequency spectrum band utilized by the NFC tag.

3. The NFC tag of claim 1, wherein the second device is configured to charge a battery using the harvested energy through one or more conductors.

4. The NFC tag of claim 1, wherein the control unit is operable to configure an integrated broadband transceiver with security levels during pairing.

5. The NFC tag of claim 4, wherein the integrated broadband transceiver is operable to communicate data with the first device over a selected one of the security levels.

6. The NFC tag of claim 1, wherein the NFC tag comprises memory operable to store information for a configuration of a WiFi transceiver that is integrated into a third device along with the NFC tag.

7. The NFC tag of claim 1, wherein the NFC tag comprises memory operable to store information for configuration of a Bluetooth transceiver that is integrated into a third device along with the NFC tag.

8. The NFC tag of claim 1, wherein the second device comprises a WiFi radio.

9. The NFC tag of claim 1, wherein the second device comprises a Bluetooth radio.

10. The NFC tag of claim 1, wherein the NFC tag supports a passive mode.

11. A method comprising:

generating a digital radio frequency (RF) signal via a modulator in a near field communications (NFC) tag;

converting, via a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), the digital RF signal to an analog RF signal for wireless transmission to a first device, wherein the analog RF signal is at a power level below a spurious emissions mask;

digitally downconverting, via a digital demodulator, a frequency spectrum of a wireless signal received from the first device;

harvesting energy from the wireless signal received from the first device; and

providing the harvested energy to a second device that is paired with the NFC tag.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises detecting one or more usable channels within a frequency spectrum band utilized by the NFC tag.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises charging a battery of the second device using the harvested energy through one or more conductors.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises configuring an integrated broadband transceiver with security levels during pairing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method comprises communicating data between the NFC tag and the first device according to a selected one of the security levels.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises configuring a WiFi transceiver that is integrated into a third device along with the NFC tag.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises configuring a Bluetooth transceiver that is integrated into a third device along with the NFC tag.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the second device comprises a WiFi radio.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the second device comprises a Bluetooth radio.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the NFC tag supports a passive mode.