Short-range wireless communication apparatus and cellular phone terminal

• US 20060160488A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Chiba, Masayuki, Tsushima, Takaaki, Sueoka, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,762,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• 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: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a short-range wireless communication apparatus and a cellular phone terminal that can surely and immediately notify a user of the optimum distance between a contactless IC card reader/writer and a contactless IC card not through an MPU or a CPU and if the contactless IC card function is locked, surely notify the user as such. In an RFID card, a magnetic field strength/brightness conversion section adjusts the brightness of two LEDs in accordance with the detected magnetic field strength of a carrier wave. A blink generation circuit detects whether the RFID card is in a communication state and blinks the LEDs if so. A function combining section combines the functions to indicate the magnetic field strength and the communication state with the brightness and blinking of the LEDs. An LED with another color illuminates only when an RFID function LSI is in a lock state.

Claims

1. A short-range wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a magnetic field strength detector detecting magnetic field strength from a carrier wave by extracting direct-current potential from the carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication;

a magnetic field strength notification device notifying a user of the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector; and

a magnetic field strength notification signal generator generating a magnetic field strength notification signal for operating the magnetic field strength notification device in accordance with the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector.

2. The short-range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the magnetic field strength notification device has a light-emitting device, and

the magnetic field strength notification signal generator converts the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector into a brightness adjustment signal for the light-emitting device and provides the brightness adjustment signal of the magnetic field strength notification signal to the light-emitting device.

3. The short-range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the magnetic field strength notification signal generator converts the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector into a duty signal indicative of a lighting/extinguishing ratio of the light-emitting device and provides the duty signal of the brightness adjustment signal to the light-emitting device.

4. A short-range wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a communication detector detecting signal communication from a carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication;

a communication notification device notifying a user that the communication detector is detecting the signal communication; and

a communication notification signal generator generating a communication notification signal for operating the communication notification device in accordance with the signal communication detected by the communication detector.

5. The short-range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the communication notification device has a light-emitting device, and

the communication notification signal generator generates a blink signal for blinking the light-emitting device while the communication detector detects the signal communication, and provides the blink signal of the communication notification signal to the light-emitting device.

6. The short-range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the communication notification signal generator holds a detection state of the signal communication by the communication detector for a fixed time and generates the blink signal for the fixed time.

7. A short-range wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a magnetic field strength detector detecting magnetic field strength from a carrier wave by extracting direct-current potential from the carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication;

a lock detector detecting that a short-range wireless communication function is locked into at least a disabled state when the magnetic field strength detector detects the magnetic field strength from the carrier wave;

a lock notification device notifying a user that the lock detector has detected the disabled state; and

a lock notification signal generator generating a lock notification signal for operating the lock notification device in accordance with the disabled state detected by the lock detector.

8. The short-range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the lock notification device has a light-emitting device, and

the short-range wireless communication apparatus lights the light-emitting device when the lock detector detects the disabled state.

9. A short-range wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a magnetic field strength detector detecting magnetic field strength from a carrier wave by extracting direct-current potential from the carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication;

a communication detector detecting signal communication from a carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication;

a lock detector detecting that a short-range wireless communication function is locked into at least a disabled state when the magnetic field strength detector detects the magnetic field strength from the carrier wave;

a notification device notifying a user of the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector, the signal communication detected by the communication detector, and the disabled state detected by the lock detector;

a first notification signal generator generating a first notification signal for operating the notification device in accordance with the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector;

a second notification signal generator generating a second notification signal for operating the notification device in accordance with the signal communication detected by the communication detector; and

a third notification signal generator generating a third notification signal for operating the notification device in accordance with the disabled state detected by the lock detector.

10. The short-range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the notification device has a light-emitting device,

the first notification signal generator converts the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector into a brightness adjustment signal for the light-emitting device and provides the brightness adjustment signal of the first notification signal to the light-emitting device,

the second notification signal generator generates a blink signal for blinking the light-emitting device while the communication detector detects the signal communication, and provides the blink signal of the second notification signal to the light-emitting device, and

the third notification signal generator generates a light emission signal for lighting the light-emitting device in a predetermined color when the lock detector detects the disabled state, and provides the light emission signal of the third notification signal to the light-emitting device.

11. The short-range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first notification signal generator converts the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector into a duty signal indicative of a lighting/extinguishing ratio of the light-emitting device and provides the duty signal of the brightness adjustment signal to the light-emitting device.

12. The short-range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second notification signal generator holds a detection state of the signal communication by the communication detector for a fixed time and generates the blink signal for the fixed time.

13. The short-range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the light-emitting device of the notification device has light-emitting elements that illuminate in at least two light-emitting colors other than the predetermined color,

the first notification signal generator converts the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector into at least two different brightness adjustment signals, provides one of the brightness adjustment signals to a light-emitting element having one of the light-emitting colors, and provides the other brightness adjustment signal to a light-emitting element having the other light-emitting color.

14. A cellular phone terminal comprising:

a short-range wireless communication unit, wherein the short-range wireless communication unit having,

a magnetic field strength detector detecting magnetic field strength from a carrier wave by extracting direct-current potential from the carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication,

a magnetic field strength notification device notifying a user of the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector, and

a magnetic field strength notification signal generator generating a magnetic field strength notification signal for operating the magnetic field strength notification device in accordance with the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector.

15. A cellular phone terminal comprising:

a short-range wireless communication unit, wherein the short-range wireless communication unit having,

a communication detector detecting signal communication from a carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication,

a communication notification device notifying a user that the communication detector is detecting the signal communication, and

a communication notification signal generator generating a communication notification signal for operating the communication notification device in accordance with the signal communication detected by the communication detector.

16. A cellular phone terminal comprising:

a short-range wireless communication unit, wherein the short-range wireless communication unit having,

a magnetic field strength detector detecting magnetic field strength from a carrier wave by extracting direct-current potential from the carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication,

a lock detector detecting that a short-range wireless communication function is locked into at least a disabled state when the magnetic field strength detector detects the magnetic field strength from the carrier wave,

a lock notification device notifying a user that the lock detector has detected the disabled state, and

a lock notification signal generator generating a lock notification signal for operating the lock notification device in accordance with the disabled state detected by the lock detector.

17. A cellular phone terminal comprising:

a short-range wireless communication unit, wherein the short-range wireless communication unit having,

a magnetic field strength detector detecting magnetic field strength from a carrier wave by extracting direct-current potential from the carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication,

a communication detector detecting signal communication from a carrier wave used for short-range wireless communication,

a lock detector detecting that a short-range wireless communication function is locked into at least a disabled state when the magnetic field strength detector detects the magnetic field strength from the carrier wave,

a notification device notifying a user of the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector, the signal communication detected by the communication detector, and the disabled state detected by the lock detector,

a first notification signal generator generating a first notification signal for operating the notification device in accordance with the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetic field strength detector,

a second notification signal generator generating a second notification signal for operating the notification device in accordance with the signal communication detected by the communication detector, and

a third notification signal generator generating a third notification signal for operating the notification device in accordance with the disabled state detected by the lock detector.