Communication devices and method of communication

• US 20020003481A1
• Filed: 05/03/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Karkas, Kalle, Kantola, Matti, Piikivi, Lauri, Niemi, Valtteri, Hussman, Holger, Valkenburg, Sander Van
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.77
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A communications device comprising means for transmitting a signal to another party; and means for controlling the signal level with which said transmitting means transmits, wherein said signal level is initially relatively low and when a connection is established with said another party, said signal level is increased.

Claims

1. A communications device comprising:

means for transmitting a signal to another party; and

means for controlling the signal level with which said transmitting means transmits, wherein said signal level is initially relatively low and when a connection is established with said another party, said signal level is increased.

2. A communications device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means is arranged to control the power of said signal.

3. A communications device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said control means is arranged to control the signal level of the transmitted signal to be one of only two levels, the initially relatively low level and the increased level.

4. A communications device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said signal level is initially at a starting level and is increased to the relatively low level.

6. A communications device as claimed in claim 1, 2, 4 or 5, wherein said signal level is increased until a connection is established with said another party.

7. A communications device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said signal level has a maximum value to which it can be increased when no connection has been established with said another party.

8. A communications device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said maximum value is less than the signal level used when a connection with the another party has been established.

17. A communications device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said control means comprises an attenuator.

18. A communications device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein when a plurality of another parties are provided, said communications device is arranged to establish a connection with the closest another party.

19. A communications device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said communications device is one of the following devices:

point of sale device;

ticket gate device; and

information kiosk;

ATM.

20. A communications device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said connection with said another party is a wireless connection.

21. A communications device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said wireless connection is a high frequency connection.

22. A communications device as claimed in claim 21, wherein said high frequency connection is of the order of giga Hertz.

23. A communications device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said wireless connection is a Bluetooth link .

24. A communications device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the wireless connection is an infrared connection.

25. A communications device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said another party is a mobile telephone.

5. A communications device as claimed in claim , wherein said starting point is no signal.

9. A communications device comprising:

means for receiving a signal from another party; and

means for controlling the signal level with which said signal is received, wherein

said signal level is initially relatively low and when a connection is established with said another party, said signal level is increased.

10. A communications device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said control means is arranged to attenuate the signal level of the received signal by a first amount or a second amount only to provide the initially relatively low level and the increased level.

11. A communications device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said signal is arranged to be attenuated by a starting amount and the attenuation is reduced to provide signals at the relatively low level.

12. A communications device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said starting point is maximum attenuation.

13. A communications device as claimed in claim 9, 11 or 12, wherein attenuation of the received signal level is decreased until a connection is established with said another party.

14. A communications device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said attenuation has a minimum value to which it can be decreased when no connection has been established with said another party.

15. A communications device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said minimum value is greater than the attenuation used when a connection with the another party has been established.

16. A communications device as claimed in any of claims 9 to 15, wherein no attenuation is applied to the received signals when a connection has been established.

26. A communications method comprising the steps of:

transmitting initially a signal to another party at a relatively low signal level;

establishing a connection with the another party; and

increasing the signal level with which signals are transmitted to said another party after said connection has been established.

27. A communications method comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal from another party;

attenuating said received signal by a first amount;

establishing a connection with the another party;

decreasing or removing the attenuation applied to said received signals when a connection has been established.