POWER-SCAVENGING RECEIVER TO GENERATE A SIGNAL TO BE USED TO CONTROL OPERATIONAL STATE

• US 20130023206A1
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jeremy Burr
• Inventors: Burr, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 8,942,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for initiative communication between first and second wireless communication devices using first and second RFID transceivers.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first electronic device to communicate with a second electronic device, the first device having;

a first wireless network transceiver, and

a first RFID transceiver communicatively coupled with the first wireless transceiver to communicate with a second RFID transceiver in the second device to initiate communication between the first wireless transceiver and a second wireless transceiver that is part of the second device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless network transceivers are to operate according to a wireless communication protocol.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second wireless transceiver is to cause the second wireless communications transceiver to transition to a low-power state.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second wireless transceiver is to cause the second wireless communications transceiver to power up and communicate with the first wireless communications transceiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second RFID transceiver includes a power scavenging receiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory coupled with the power-scavenging receiver; and

a power-scavenging transmitter coupled with the memory to transmit a value received from the memory in response to a signal received by the power-scavenging receiver.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a first electronic device to communicate with a second electronic device, the first device having;

a first wireless network transceiver, and

a first MD transceiver to communicate with a second RFID transceiver in the second device to initiate communication between the first wireless transceiver and a second wireless transceiver that is part of the second device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the first and second wireless transceivers operate in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 protocol, whereby RFID communication between the first and second devices is handed over to WiFi communication between the first and second devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the first device is a mobile handset.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the first and second devices are enabled for bi-directional communications to allow the mobile handset to be authenticated before attempting to engage in communications with the second device.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the first and second RFID transceivers convey power state information for one of the first and second wireless transceivers for at least one of the first and second devices.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

an RFID entity to communicate with an RFID entity in a second electronic device; and

a WiFi transceiver, wherein the RFID entities in the first and second devices are to initiate communication between the WiFi transceiver in the first device and a WiFi transceiver in the second device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, in which the RFID entities communicate using high frequency inductive coupling.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, in which the RFID entities are to operate in accordance with an ISO/IEC 18000 specification.