COMMUNICATION PARTNER APPLIANCE WITH AUTOMATIC SEND MODE ACTIVATION

• US 20130122809A1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Breitfuss, Klemens
• Granted Patent: US 8,977,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• 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 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• 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: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A communication partner appliance is implemented within a near field communication system. The communication partner appliance includes a receiver, a detector, and a processor. The receiver receives a NFC command signal from another communication partner appliance. The detector detects whether a carrier signal from the other communication partner appliance is present at the receiver at a time other than during a transmission of the NFC command signal from the other communication partner appliance to the receiver. The processor controls a power supply element based on a determination by the detector whether the carrier signal from the other communication partner appliance is present at the receiver. The power supply element is configured to establish a connection to either a first power supply or a second power supply. The first power supply is dependent on the carrier signal, and the second power supply is independent of the carrier signal.

Claims

1. A communication partner appliance comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a near-field communication (NFC) command signal to another communication partner appliance according to an active communication mode, wherein the command signal includes a request for data from the other communication partner appliance; and

a processor coupled to the generator and the transmitter, wherein the processor is configured to switch from the active communication mode to a passive communication mode in response to a determination that the response signal is not received from the other communication partner appliance.

2. The communication partner appliance of claim 1, wherein the generator is configured in the active communication mode to generate the carrier signal only during the transmission of the command signal to the other communication partner appliance.

3. The communication partner appliance of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to influence a signal strength of a carrier signal used for the transmission of the command signal in the active communication mode.

4. The communication partner appliance of claim 1, wherein the generator is configured in the passive communication mode to generate the carrier signal during and after the transmission of the command signal to the other communication partner appliance.