Portable terminal system including portable terminal mounting base

• US 20060006234A1
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Shigekusa, Hisashi, Mizutani, Tomokazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,543,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/451
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

In a portable terminal system, a mounting base is equipped with a RFID section capable of performing RF communication with a RFID section of a portable terminal. As soon as the portable terminal is placed on the mounting base, both RFID sections start RF communication so that the data having been read from a RFID tag into the portable terminal can be quickly transmitted from the portable terminal to the mounting base. The data being transmitted from the portable terminal to the mounting base is further transmitted from the mounting base to a host computer. Thus, the portable terminal can use a common interface to read the data from the RFID tag and also transmit the data having been read from the RFID tag to the mounting base.

Claims

1. A portable terminal system comprising:

a portable terminal including a first RFID means capable of performing RF communication with a RFID tag and operating under an operating power supplied from a battery; and

a portable terminal mounting base including an external communication means capable of performing data communication with an external apparatus and having an arrangement to mount said portable terminal, wherein

said portable terminal mounting base includes a second RFID means capable of performing RF communication with, said first RFID means,

said portable terminal mounting base transmits data via said external communication means to said external apparatus, when said first RFID means transmits the data to said second RFID means based on RF communication, and

said portable terminal mounting base transmits data via said second RFID means to said first RFID means based on RF communication, when said external apparatus transmits the data to said external communication means.

2. The portable terminal system in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said first RFID means operates as a RFID master station for performing RF communication with said RFID tag, and also operates as a RFID slave station having identification information inherent to said portable terminal, and

said second RFID means operates as a RFID master station performing RF communication with said first RFID means under the condition that identified result of identification information is true in the communication with said first RFID means operating as the RFID slave station.

3. The portable terminal system in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said first RFID means operates selectively as said RFID master station or said RFID slave station.

4. The portable terminal system in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said first RFID means supplies operating power to said RFID tag when said first RFID means operates as said RFID master station and performs RF communication with said RFID tag, and

said second RFID means supplies operating power to said first RFID means when said second RFID means performs RF communication with said first RFID means operating as said RFID slave station.

5. The portable terminal system in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said first RFID means modulates a carrier wave transmitted from said second RFID means based on data without amplifying said carrier wave, and transmits the carrier wave with the superimposed data to said second RFID means.

6. The portable terminal system in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said first RFID means amplifies a carrier wave transmitted from said second RFID means and modulates said amplified carrier wave based on data, and transmits the carrier wave with the superimposed data to said second RFID means.

7. The portable terminal system in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said first RFID means produces a carrier wave and modulates said carrier wave based on data, and transmits the carrier wave with the superimposed data to said second RFID means.

8. The portable terminal system in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said second RFID means operates as a RFID slave station having identification information inherent to said portable terminal mounting base,

said first RFID means performs RF communication with said RFID tag, and also operates as a RFID master station performing RF communication with said second RFID means under the condition that identified result of identification information is true in the communication with said second RFID means operating as a RFID slave station.

9. The portable terminal system in accordance with claim 8, wherein

said first RFID means performs RF communication with said RFID tag according to first RF communication procedure, and

said first RFID means performs RF communication with said second RFID means operating as a RFID slave station according to second RF communication procedure which is different from said first RF communication procedure.

10. The portable terminal system in accordance with claim 8, wherein

said first RFID means, when performing RF communication with said RFID tag according to the first RF communication procedure, supplies operating power to said RFID tag, and said first RFID means, when performing RF communication with said second RFID means operating as a RFID slave station according to the second RF communication procedure, supplies no operating power to said second RFID means.

11. A portable terminal mounting base having an arrangement mounting a portable terminal including a first RFID means capable of performing RF communication with a RFID tag and operating under an operating power supplied from a battery, and including an external communication means capable of performing data communication with an external apparatus, wherein

said portable terminal mounting base includes a second RFID means capable of performing RF communication with said first RFID means,

said portable terminal mounting base transmits data via said external communication means to said external apparatus, when said first RFID means transmits said data to said second RFID means based on RF communication, and

said portable terminal mounting base transmits data via said second RFID means to said first RFID means based on RF communication, when said external apparatus transmits said data to said external communication means.