SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING INTERRUPTS FOR RFID TAGS

• US 20080143487A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hulvey, Robert William
• Application Number:
  US11/956,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20080143487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for enabling interrupts for RFID tags. An RFID tag is provided with an output signal that can notify another chip in a system, or another function within the same IC, that a read of the RFID'"'"'s information has taken place. In one embodiment, the output signal would awaken a microcontroller from a low power sleep mode. The awakened microcontroller can be designed to perform a higher-level function than that supported by the RFID tag.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

an electronic device that operates in a low power sleep mode; and

a radio frequency identification tag that generates an output signal after said radio frequency identification tag is read, wherein said output signal triggers said electronic device to awaken from said low power sleep mode.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a Bluetooth device.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a mobile phone or personal digital assistant.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a Wi-Fi device.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device has a higher communication capacity then said radio frequency identification tag.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein said radio frequency identification tag is a passive tag.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein said output signal is an interrupt signal that is provided to a microcontroller in said electronic device.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein said output signal is an interrupt signal that is provided to a power management unit in said electronic device.

9. A wireless communication method, comprising:

transmitting, by a radio frequency identification tag, information to a radio frequency identification tag reading device upon activation of said radio frequency identification tag by a reading device;

outputting, by said radio frequency identification tag, a signal after said radio frequency identification tag is read; and

awakening an electronic device from a low power sleep mode using said output signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said radio frequency identification tag is a passive tag.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said outputting comprises sending an interrupt signal to a microcontroller in said electronic device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said outputting comprises sending a signal to a power management unit in said electronic device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising activating a pairing process by said electronic device via Bluetooth.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising activating a mobile payment process by said electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising activating a mobile payment process by a mobile phone or personal digital assistant.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising activating wireless communication by said electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising activating wireless communication by a Wi-Fi device.

18. A peer-to-peer wireless communication method, comprising:

transmitting information from a radio frequency identification tag in a first device to a second device in response to a read by said second device;

awakening a peer-to-peer communication module in said first device from a low power mode upon said read by said second device; and

transmitting information to said second device using said peer-to-peer communication module of said first device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said radio frequency identification tag is a passive device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said peer-to-peer communication module is a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi module.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said peer-to-peer communication module is a near field communication module with peer-to-peer communication capability.