INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20080006695A1
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: MORITA, Tadashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• 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 19/0723 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 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• 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: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

An information processing system includes a magnetic-field generation apparatus for generating a magnetic field; and an information processing apparatus for performing wireless communication with an electronic device. The magnetic-field generation apparatus includes a generation section configured to generate the magnetic field, the magnetic-flux density of the magnetic field changing with time. The information processing apparatus includes an antenna for causing an induced voltage to be generated from the magnetic field and for causing an induced voltage to be generated from a magnetic field from a reader/writer; a supply section configured to supply electrical power to each section of the information processing apparatus; a verification section configured to verify whether or not the electronic device in a communicable state is an authorized device; and an output section configured to output, to another device, output information for allowing the other device connected to the information processing apparatus to operate.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a magnetic-field generation apparatus for generating a magnetic field; and

an information processing apparatus for performing wireless communication with an electronic device, the information processing apparatus having a reader/writer function and an IC card function,

wherein the magnetic-field generation apparatus includes

generation means for generating the magnetic field, the magnetic-flux density of the magnetic field changing with time, and

wherein the information processing apparatus includes

an antenna for causing an induced voltage to be generated from the magnetic field when the reader/writer function is to be operated and for causing an induced voltage to be generated from a magnetic field from a reader/writer when the IC card function is to be operated;

supply means for supplying electrical power obtained by rectifying the generated induced voltage to each section of the information processing apparatus;

verification means for verifying whether or not the electronic device in a communicable state is an authorized device on the basis of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic-field generation apparatus when the reader/writer function is to be operated; and

output means for outputting, to another device, output information for allowing the other device connected to the information processing apparatus to operate, the output information being obtained from transmission information transmitted from the electronic device, when the electronic device is authenticated to be an authorized device.

2. An information processing apparatus for performing wireless communication with an electronic device, the information processing apparatus having a reader/writer function and an IC card function, the information processing apparatus comprising:

an antenna for causing an induced voltage to be generated from a magnetic field generated by a magnetic-field generation apparatus, the magnetic flux of the magnetic field changing with time, when the reader/writer function is to be operated and for causing an induced voltage to be generated from a magnetic field from a reader/writer when the IC card function is to be operated;

supply means for supplying electrical power obtained by rectifying the generated induced voltage to each section of the information processing apparatus;

verification means for verifying whether or not the electronic device in a communicable state is an authorized device on the basis of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic-field generation apparatus when the reader/writer function is to be operated; and

output means for outputting, to another device, output information for allowing the other device connected to the information processing apparatus to operate, the output information being obtained from transmission information transmitted from the electronic device, when the electronic device is authenticated to be an authorized device.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising control means for controlling an operation mode so that, when the IC card function is operated, the reader/writer function is operated when the time period during which the IC card function is operated has passed a predetermined time period.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising extraction means for extracting, from the magnetic field, a clock used for the operation of each section of the information processing apparatus.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output means outputs the output information to the other device when the transmission information matches information regarding a service provided by the other device, the information being stored in the information processing apparatus.

6. An information processing method for use with an information processing apparatus for performing wireless communication with an electronic device, the information processing apparatus having a reader/writer function and an IC card function, the information processing method comprising the steps of:

causing an antenna to supply electrical power to each section of the information processing apparatus, the electrical power being obtained by rectifying an induced voltage generated from a magnetic field generated by a magnetic-field generation apparatus, the magnetic-flux density of the magnetic field changing with time, when the reader/writer function is to be operated or being obtained by rectifying an induced voltage generated from a magnetic field from a reader/writer when the IC card function is to be operated;

verifying whether or not the electronic device in a communicable state is an authorized device by using the magnetic field generated by the magnetic-field generation apparatus when the reader/writer function is to be operated; and

outputting, to another device, output information for allowing the other device connected to the information processing apparatus to operate, the output information being obtained from transmission information transmitted from the electronic device, when the electronic device is authenticated to be an authorized device.

7. An information processing system comprising:

a magnetic-field generation apparatus for generating a magnetic field; and

an information processing apparatus for performing wireless communication with an electronic device, the information processing apparatus having a reader/writer function and an IC card function,

wherein the magnetic-field generation apparatus includes

a generation section generating the magnetic field, the magnetic-flux density of the magnetic field changing with time, and

wherein the information processing apparatus includes

an antenna for causing an induced voltage to be generated from the magnetic field when the reader/writer function is to be operated and for causing an induced voltage to be generated from a magnetic field from a reader/writer when the IC card function is to be operated;

a supply section supplying electrical power obtained by rectifying the generated induced voltage to each section of the information processing apparatus;

a verification section verifying whether or not the electronic device in a communicable state is an authorized device on the basis of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic-field generation apparatus when the reader/writer function is to be operated; and

an output section outputting, to another device, output information for allowing the other device connected to the information processing apparatus to operate, the output information being obtained from transmission information transmitted from the electronic device, when the electronic device is authenticated to be an authorized device.

8. An information processing apparatus for performing wireless communication with an electronic device, the information processing apparatus having a reader/writer function and an IC card function, the information processing apparatus comprising:

an antenna for causing an induced voltage to be generated from a magnetic field generated by a magnetic-field generation apparatus, the magnetic flux of the magnetic field changing with time, when the reader/writer function is to be operated and for causing an induced voltage to be generated from a magnetic field from a reader/writer when the IC card function is to be operated;

a supply section supplying electrical power obtained by rectifying the generated induced voltage to each section of the information processing apparatus;

a verification section verifying whether or not the electronic device in a communicable state is an authorized device on the basis of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic-field generation apparatus when the reader/writer function is to be operated; and

an output section outputting, to another device, output information for allowing the other device connected to the information processing apparatus to operate, the output information being obtained from transmission information transmitted from the electronic device, when the electronic device is authenticated to be an authorized device.