Communicating object and method of locating such an object

• US 20060058075A1
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Remy, Michel, Airiau, Roland, Senn, Patrice
• Application Number:
  US11/226,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058075A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• 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 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• 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: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions

Abstract

A communicating object comprising long-range wireless communication means, active short-range wireless location means and control means designed, on the one hand, to activate and/or deactivate, at least partly, the power supply for the long-range communication means and, on the other hand, to deactivate, at least partly, the power supply for the short-range location means.

Claims

1. A communicating object, comprising:

long-range wireless communication means; and

first power supply means designed to supply the said communication means with power;

active short-range wireless location means;

second power supply means designed to supply the said active location means with power; and

control means designed to activate and preferably deactivate, at least partly, said first and second power supply means.

2. The communicating object according to claim 1, wherein said control means for controlling the first and second power supply means are operated by the same microcontroller.

3. The communicating object according to claim 1, wherein said control means are designed to activate the second power supply means at a defined instant or after a predetermined period.

4. The communicating object according to claim 1, wherein said control means include a sensor designed to activate the second power supply means upon detecting a predetermined event.

5. The communicating object according to claim 4, wherein said sensor is designed to activate the second power supply means upon detecting a movement of the said communicating object.

6. The communicating object according to claim 5, wherein said sensor uses a MEMS technology.

7. The communicating object according to claim 4, wherein said sensor is designed to activate the second power supply means upon detecting a variation in temperature or pressure.

8. The communicating object according to claim 1, wherein the long-range wireless communication means include a ULP radiocommunication module that communicates with a connection base station or with another communicating object.

9. The communicating object according to claim 1, wherein the active location means include communication means designed to measure the strength of a signal received from at least three fixed terminals.

10. The communicating object according to claim 9, wherein the location means comprise a short-distance wireless communication module designed to measure the strength of synchronization frame signals transmitted by the said fixed terminals, in accordance with the WiFi communication protocol.

11. A method of locating a communicating object according to claim 1, comprising:

a step of detecting an event;

a step of activating the said second power supply means upon detection of said event; and

a step of locating said communicating object using said active wireless location means.

12. The location method according to claim 11 wherein, during said detection step, said event corresponds to:

the start of a predetermined instant;

or

the expiry of a predetermined period;

or

a movement of said communicating object;

or

a variation in temperature or pressure.

13. The location method according to claim 11, wherein in order for said location step to be carried out, said wireless location means measure the strength of a signal received from at least three fixed terminals.

14. The location method according to claim 13, wherein in order for said location step to be carried out, said wireless location means measure the strength of synchronization frame signals transmitted by said fixed terminals, in accordance with the WiFi communication protocol.