Method and apparatus for optimized batterry life and authentication in contactless technology

• US 20040204182A1
• Filed: 06/07/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marqeta, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Angelo, Michael F., Toves, Raymond A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0705 the battery being connected to a power saving arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) device for authorizing user access to portions of a computer system. The RF device includes a power supply, processing circuitry that accesses the power supply according to a location of the RF device, and an antenna that transmits communication signals from the processing circuitry to a transponder that is coupled to the computer system. The processing circuitry is configured to operate at a first power level until the communication signals indicate that the location of the RF device is within a first range of the transponder. The processing circuitry is configured to begin operations at a second power level after the RF device is positioned within the first range of the transponder. The processing circuitry is also configured to operate at the second power level until the communication signals indicate that the location of the RF device has moved outside of a second range from the transponder.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) device for authorizing user access to portions of a computer system comprising:

a power supply;

processing circuitry that accesses the power supply according to a location of the RF device;

an antenna that transmits communication signals from the processing circuitry to a transponder that is coupled to the computer system;

the processing circuitry configured to operate at a first power level until the communication signals indicate that the location of the RF device is within a first range of the transponder at which time the processing circuitry is configured to begin operations at a second power level; and

the processing circuitry being configured to operate at the second power level until the communication signals indicate that the location of the RF device has moved outside of a second range from the transponder.

2. The RF device of claim 1 wherein the communication signals are used to validate that the RF device is an authorized device prior to activating user access to the portions of the computer system.

3. The RF device of claim 1 wherein the communication signals are used to validate that the computer system is an authorized computer system for the RF device prior to the RF device operating at the second power level.

4. The RF device of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry identifies the location of the RF device through communication signals that are received through the antenna.

5. The RF device of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry operates at the first power level when the processing circuitry is unable to identify the location of the RF device.

6. The RF device of claim 1 wherein the computer system is inaccessible when the computer system is unable to identify the location of the RF device.

7. The RF device of claim 1 wherein the computer system periodically validates itself to the RF device and the RF device periodically validates itself to the computer system.

8. The RF device of claim 1 further comprising a key that is provided to the processing circuitry that the processing circuitry requires for high power transactions.

9. The RF device of claim 8 wherein the key for the high power transactions is modified over time.

10. The RF device of claim 1 wherein the first range is from five to twenty centimeters and the second range is from five to twenty meters.

11. A radio frequency (RF) device for authorizing user access to portions of a computer system comprising:

a power supply;

processing circuitry that accesses the power supply according to a location of the RF device;

an antenna that transmits communication signals from the processing circuitry to a transponder that is coupled to the computer system;

the processing circuitry being configured to operate at a first power level until authentication signals verify that the location of the RF device is within a first range of the transponder at which time the processing circuitry begins operations at a second power level; and

the processing circuitry being configured to operate at the second power level until the location of the RF device is detected to have moved outside of a second range from the transponder.

12. The RF device of claim 11 wherein the communication signals are used to verify that the RF device is an authorized device prior to activating user access to the portions of the computer system.

13. The RF device of claim 11 wherein the communication signals are used to verify that the computer system is an authorized computer system for the RF device prior to the RF device operating at the second power level.

14. The RF device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry operates at the first power level when the processing circuitry is unable to identify the location of the computer system.

15. The RF device of claim 11 wherein the first range is from five to twenty centimeters.

16. The RF device of claim 11 wherein the second range is from five to twenty meters.

17. A method for an RF device to conserve power while controlling user access to a computer system having a transponder, the method comprising:

operating the RF device in a low power mode;

placing the RF device within ten centimeters of the transponder to initiate RF communications between the RF device and the computer system while the RF device remains in the low power mode;

authenticating a valid identity for the RF device;

identifying portions of the computer system that a user with the RF device is permitted to access;

activating the identified portions of the computer system; and

activating a high power state in the RF device that permits the RF device to maintain the activation of the identified portions of the computer system while the RF device remains within 10 meters of the transponder.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising deactivating the high power state in the RF device when the RF communications between the RF device and the computer system cease.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising, prior to activating the high power state in the RF device, authenticating the computer system as a valid computer system for operations with the RF device.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising deactivating user access to the computer system when the RF device is moved outside of ten meters from the computer system.