MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ENHANCED CONTACTLESS COMMUNICATION USING CONTACTLESS MODULE

• US 20110237190A1
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jolivet, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,670,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils

Abstract

A method and mobile terminal for enhanced contactless communication are discussed. According to an embodiment, the invention provides a mobile terminal comprising: a plurality of antennas designated for a contactless reception/transmission of signals from/to an external device, each of the plurality of antennas configured to receive a signal provided from the external device; and a contactless module operatively coupled to the plurality of antennas, and including a controller, the controller configured to check a strength of the signal received from each of the plurality of antennas, to select one of the plurality of antennas based on the checked result, and to receive the signal continuously or a new signal using the selected antenna.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a plurality of antennas designated for a contactless reception/transmission of signals from/to an external device, each of the plurality of antennas configured to receive a signal provided from the external device; and

a contactless module operatively coupled to the plurality of antennas, and including a controller, the controller configured to check a strength of the signal received from each of the plurality of antennas, to select one of the plurality of antennas based on the checked result, and to receive the signal continuously or a new signal using the selected antenna.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a signal to the external device using the selected antenna.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the contactless module further comprises:

a multiplexer for selectively multiplexing among the plurality of antennas.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the controller activates or deactivates the multiplexer based on the strength of the signal received from each of the plurality of antennas.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerometer configured to determine information on a movement of the mobile terminal,

wherein the controller is further configured to check the information on the movement of the mobile terminal, and select the one of the plurality of antennas based on the information on the movement of the mobile terminal and the strength of the signal received from each of the antennas.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a removable storage device configured to store therein data, wherein the contactless module retrieves the data stored in the removable storage device for transmission to the external device and/or stores data received from the external device contactlessly in the removable storage device.

7. A method for providing contactless communication using a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal including a plurality of antennas designated for a contactless reception/transmission of signals from/to an external device, and a contactless module operatively coupled to the plurality of antennas and including a controller, the method comprising:

receiving, by each of the plurality of antennas, a signal provided from the external device;

checking, by the controller, a strength of the signal received from each of the plurality of antennas;

selecting, by the controller, one of the plurality of antennas based on the checking result; and

receiving the signal continuously or a new signal using the selected antenna.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to the external device using the selected antenna.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the contactless module further comprises a multiplexer, and

wherein the method further comprises:

selectively multiplexing among the plurality of antennas using the multiplexer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

activating or deactivating, by the controller, the multiplexer based on the strength of the signal received from each of the plurality of antennas.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises an accelerometer, and

wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the accelerometer, information on a movement of the mobile terminal; and

selecting, by the controller, the one of the plurality of antennas based on the information on the movement of the mobile terminal and the strength of the signal received from each of the antennas.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a removable storage device configured to store therein data, and wherein the method further comprises at least one of the following steps:

retrieving, by the contactless module, the data stored in the removable storage device for transmission to the external device;

or

storing data received from the external device contactlessly in the removable storage device.