INFORMATION DEVICE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION WITH READER/WRITER DEVICE, PROGRAM, AND METHOD

• US 20090091427A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Isamu, Shiotsu, Shinichi, Itasaki, Akira, Inano, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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

Abstract

An information device capable of performing wireless communication with a reader/writer device, a method, and a computer-readable medium are provided. The device includes a reception section that detects an information request signal transmitted from a reader/writer device and a transmission section that transmits a signal to the reader/writer device in response to the detection of an information request signal. The device also includes a detection data acquisition section that acquires detection data corresponding to a physical quantity or state from a sensor and a detection data storage section that stores the detection data. The device includes a control section that activates the detection data acquisition section at time intervals and inputs the acquired detection data into the detection data storage section and another control section that activates the reception section at other time intervals.

Claims

1. An information device capable of performing wireless communication with a reader/writer device, comprising:

a reception section which detects an information request signal transmitted from said reader/writer device;

a transmission section which transmits a response signal to said reader/writer device in response to the detection of an information request signal performed by said reception section;

a detection data acquisition section which acquires detection data corresponding to a physical quantity or state from a sensor for detecting said physical quantity or state;

a detection data storage section which holds the detection data acquired by said detection data acquisition section;

a first control section which activates said detection data acquisition section at first time intervals and inputting the detection data from the detection data acquisition section into said detection data storage section; and

a second control section which activates said reception section at second time intervals and, when an information request signal is detected by the reception section, activates said transmission section based on the detection data held in said detection data storage section.

2. The information device according to claim 1, comprising:

a number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section which counts the number of times of detecting information request signals in said reception section; and

a third control section which controls said first control section or said second control section based on the counting value acquired from said number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section.

3. The information device according to claim 2, wherein

said third control section comprises at least one of:

a first processing section which increases said first time interval when the counting value acquired from said number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section is at or above a predetermined threshold;

a second processing section which reduces said second time interval when the counting value acquired from said number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section is at or above a predetermined threshold;

a third processing section which causes said first control section to sleep when the counting value acquired from said number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section is at or above a predetermined threshold; and

a fourth processing section which activates said second control section when the counting value acquired from said number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section is at or above a predetermined threshold.

4. The information device according to claim 2, wherein

said third control section comprises at least one of:

a first processing section which reduces said first time interval when the counting value acquired from said number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section is below a predetermined threshold;

a second processing section which increases said second time interval when the counting value acquired from said number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section is below a predetermined threshold; and

a third processing section which activates said first control section when the counting value acquired from said number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section is below a predetermined threshold; and

a fourth processing section which causes said second control section to sleep when the counting value acquired from said number-of-times-of-detection acquisition section is below a predetermined threshold.

5. The information device according to claim 1, wherein

said first control section:

compares the detection data held in said detection data storage section with the detection data obtained from the detection data acquisition section when said detection data acquisition section is activated at said first time intervals; and

when the difference between the two detection data pieces is at or above a predetermined threshold, inputs into said detection data storage section the detection data obtained from the detection data acquisition section.

6. The information device according to claim 1, further comprising

a switch which provides a switching signal to said second control section when pressed by a user, wherein

said second control section reduces said second time interval in response to said switching signal.

7. A computer-readable recording medium that stores a program used in an information device capable of performing wireless communication with a reader/writer device, the information device comprising:

a reception section which detects an information request signal transmitted from a reader/writer device;

a transmission section which transmits a response signal to said reader/writer device in response to the detection of an information request signal performed by said reception section;

a detection data acquisition section which acquires detection data corresponding to a physical quantity or state from a sensor for detecting said physical quantity or state; and

a detection data storage section which holds the detection data acquired by said detection data acquisition section, and the program comprising;

a first control operation of activating said detection data acquisition section at first time intervals and inputting the detection data from the detection data acquisition section into said detection data storage section; and

a second control operation of activating said reception section at second time intervals and, when an information request signal is detected by the reception section, activating said transmission section based on the detection data held in said detection data storage section.

8. A method used in an information device capable of performing wireless communication with a reader/writer device, the information device comprising:

a reception section which detects an information request signal transmitted from a reader/writer device;

a transmission section which transmits a response signal to said reader/writer device in response to the detection of an information request signal performed by said reception section;

a detection data acquisition section which acquires detection data corresponding to a physical quantity or state from a sensor for detecting said physical quantity or state; and

a detection data storage section which holds the detection data acquired by said detection data acquisition section, and the method comprising;

a first control operation of activating said detection data acquisition section at first time intervals and inputting the detection data from the detection data acquisition section into said detection data storage section; and

a second control operation of activating said reception section at second time intervals and, when an information request signal is detected by the reception section, activating said transmission section based on the detection data held in said detection data storage section.

9. A method for an information device, which is capable of communicating with a reader/writer device, the information device including a receiver that detects an information request signal transmitted from the reader/writer device, a transmitter that transmits a response signal to said reader/writer device, a detection data acquisition section that acquires detection data corresponding to a physical quantity or state from a sensor for detecting said physical quantity or state, and a detection data storage, the method comprising:

activating the detection data acquisition section at first time intervals, detecting data, and storing the detection data; and

activating the receiver at second time intervals and, upon detecting an information request, activating the transmitter based on the stored detection data.