METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20130244578A1
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: BACIOCCOLA, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Example method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed to enable remote wireless control of an electronic device while in standby mode. Example embodiments of the invention include a method comprising the steps of transmitting, by a device, short-range wireless polling signals via a short-range wireless interface according to a first poll interval; determining whether the device is active, or in a stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state; and when the device is determined to be in a stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state, causing the device to enter into a polling mode for transmitting short-range wireless polling signals via a short-range wireless interface according to a second poll interval that may be the same or different from the first poll interval and ignoring received short-range wireless response signals.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a device, short-range wireless polling signals via a short-range wireless interface according to a first poll interval;

determining whether the device is active, or in a stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state; and

when the device is determined to be in a stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state, causing the device to enter into a polling mode for transmitting short-range wireless polling signals via a short-range wireless interface according to a second poll interval that may be the same or different from the first poll interval and ignoring received short-range wireless response signals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing information derived from the received short-range wireless response signal from interrupting the stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving wireless power in response to transmission of the short-range wireless polling signals via the short-range wireless interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the device to enter into a polling mode for transmitting short-range wireless polling signals via the short-range wireless interface, having at least one of a lengthened polling interval and a reduced number of tag technologies being polled, when the device is determined to be in the stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless polling signal is one of a near field communication signal or a radio frequency identification signal.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving a short-range wireless polling signal via a short-range wireless interface; and

initiating transmission of wireless power in response to the receipt of the short-range wireless polling signal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

terminating the transmission of wireless power in response to no longer receiving the short-range wireless polling signal.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting wireless power to the short-range wireless device, which is a rechargeable battery-powered device, in response to the receipt of the short-range wireless polling signal.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

transmit short-range wireless polling signals via a short-range wireless interface according to a first poll interval;

determine whether the apparatus is active, or in a stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state; and

when the apparatus is determined to be in a stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state, cause the apparatus to enter into a polling mode for transmitting short-range wireless polling signals via a short-range wireless interface according to a second poll interval that may be the same or different from the first poll interval and ignoring received short-range wireless response signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

prevent information derived from the received short-range wireless response signal from interrupting the stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

receive wireless power in response to transmission of the short-range wireless polling signals via the short-range wireless interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

cause the apparatus to enter into a polling mode for transmitting short-range wireless polling signals via the short-range wireless interface, having at least one of an lengthened polling interval and a reduced number of tag technologies being polled, when the device is determined to be in the stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

wherein the short-range wireless polling signal is one of a near field communication signal or a radio frequency identification signal.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

receive a short-range wireless polling signal via a short-range wireless interface; and

initiate transmission of wireless power in response to the receipt of the short-range wireless polling signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

terminate the transmission of wireless power in response to no longer receiving the short-range wireless polling signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

transmit wireless power to the short-range wireless device, which is a rechargeable battery-powered device, in response to the receipt of the short-range wireless polling signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

wherein the short-range wireless polling signal is one of a near field communication signal or a radio frequency identification signal.

18. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code for transmitting, by a device, short-range wireless polling signals via a short-range wireless interface according to a first poll interval;

code for determining whether the device is active, or in a stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state; and

code for, when the device is determined to be in a stand-by, low power, idle, or sleep mode state, causing the device to enter into a polling mode for transmitting short-range wireless polling signals via a short-range wireless interface according to a second poll interval that may be the same or different from the first poll interval and ignoring received short-range wireless response signals.

19. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code for receiving a short-range wireless polling signal via a short-range wireless interface; and

code for initiating transmission of wireless power in response to the receipt of the short-range wireless polling signal.