Portable device with an active communication station configuration and a passive data carrier configuration

• US 20070114282A1
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: France Brevets SAS
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Amtmann, Franz, Breitfuss, Klemens, Meindl, Reinhard, Kunkat, Holger, Posch, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 7,604,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/451
• 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 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader

Abstract

A portable device includes an active device (communication station) configuration for contactless communication with at least one external data carrier and a passive device (data carrier) configuration for contactless communication with at least one external communication station. A detection circuit is provided to detect the presence of an external data carrier and/or the presence of an external communication station in a communication zone of the internal active device configuration and/or the internal passive device configuration. An activation circuit is coupled to the detection circuit to enable one of the two configurations based on the detection result.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

an active device configuration that is configured to provide contactless communication with an external passive data carrier,

a passive device configuration that is configured to provide contactless communication with an external active communication station,

a detector that is configured to detect a presence of either the external data carrier or the external communication station, and

an activator that is configured to selectively activate the active device configuration if the external data carrier is detected, and the passive device configuration if the external communication station is detected.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein

the detector is configured to detect a signal from the external communication station that indicates that a peer-to-peer protocol is requested, and

the activator is configured to selectively activate the active device configuration if the peer-to-peer protocol is requested.

3. The portable device of claim 1, wherein

the activator is configured to selectively activate the active device configuration to initiate peer-to-peer communication with the external communication station.

4. The portable device of claim 1, wherein

the passive device configuration includes load modulation of signals received from the external communication station.

5. The portable device of claim 1, wherein

the detector is configured to detect the presence of the external data carrier by detection of load modulation applied to signals transmitted by the portable device.

6. The portable device of claim 1, including

a telephone signal processor that is configured to enable the portable device to provide wireless telephone capabilities.

7. The portable device of claim 1, including

a processor that is configured to enable the portable device to provide Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) capabilities.

8. The portable device of claim 1, including

a processor that is configured to enable the portable device to provide contact communication capabilities.

9. The portable device of claim 1, including

memory that is configured to enable storage of data received from the external data carrier.

10. The portable device of claim 9, including

a display that is configured to display the data received from the external data carrier.

11. The portable device of claim 9, wherein

the memory is configured to enable a buffered transfer of the data received from the external data carrier to the external communication device.

12. The portable device of claim 1, including

memory that is configured to enable storage of data for transmission to the external communication station.

13. The portable device of claim 1, wherein

the active device configuration and the passive device configuration are each configured to provide near field communications in accordance with ISO/IEC Standard 18092.

14. The portable device of claim 1, wherein

the portable device is configured as a card-form data carrier.

15. The portable device of claim 1, including

a controller that is configured to periodically enable the active device configuration to facilitate detection of the external data carrier.

16. The portable device of claim 15, wherein

the controller is configured to periodically enable the passive device configuration to facilitate detection of the external communication device.

17. The portable device of claim 1, including

a display that is configured to display information received by the portable device.