COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20160171259A1
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaechi, Shuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field

Abstract

There is provided a communication apparatus comprising an antenna. A communication unit is able to use external power that is generated by receiving a signal from an external apparatus via the antenna, thereby transmitting a response to the signal that is received from the external apparatus to the external apparatus. A deactivation unit deactivates, in a case where the external power is generated by receiving the signal from the external apparatus via the antenna, supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit. A control unit performs control so as to interrupt deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

an antenna;

a communication unit configured to be able to use external power that is generated by receiving a signal from an external apparatus via the antenna, thereby transmitting a response to the signal that is received from the external apparatus to the external apparatus;

a deactivation unit configured to, in a case where the external power is generated by receiving the signal from the external apparatus via the antenna, deactivate supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit; and

a control unit configured to perform control so as to interrupt deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deactivation unit, in a case where a signal output from the communication unit in response to reception of the signal from the external apparatus is input, deactivates supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the deactivation unit, in a case where a signal output from the communication unit in response to reception of the signal from the external apparatus is input, deactivates supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by shunting the antenna to ground.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the communication unit has a VDD terminal, and

the signal output from the communication unit in response to reception of the signal from the external apparatus is an output from the VDD terminal.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit operates using power that is supplied from a power source that is different from the external power, and

the apparatus further comprises an interrupt unit configured to interrupt deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit, based on a signal from the control unit.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the interrupt unit interrupts deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit, by interrupting the signal from the communication unit to the deactivation unit.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the interrupt unit interrupts deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit, by shunting a signal path from the communication unit to the deactivation unit to ground.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the communication unit has:

a signal output terminal configured to output a signal in response to reception of a signal from the external apparatus,

the deactivation unit has;

a first switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when the signal is input to the input terminal; and

a circuit configured to connect the signal output terminal to the input terminal of the first switch, and to shunt the antenna to ground in a case where the first switch is turned on, and

the control unit includes;

a CPU having a first control output terminal configured to output a first control signal and a second control output terminal configured to output a second control signal;

a second switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when the first control signal is input to the input terminal;

a state holding circuit configured to switch an internal state in accordance with an instruction of the second control signal and switch an output state of a signal in accordance with the internal state;

a third switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when a signal from the state holding circuit is input to the input terminal;

a circuit configured to connect the signal from the state holding circuit to the input terminal of the third switch, and to shunt the input terminal of the first switch to ground in a case where the third switch is turned on; and

a circuit configured to connect the first control output terminal to the input terminal of the second switch, and to shunt the input terminal of the third switch to ground in a case where the second switch is turned on.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a battery,

wherein the communication unit has;

a signal output terminal configured to output a signal in response to reception of a signal from the external apparatus,

the deactivation unit has;

a first switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when the signal is input to the input terminal; and

a circuit configured to connect the signal output terminal to the input terminal of the first switch, and to shunt the antenna to ground in a case where the first switch is turned on, and

the control unit includes;

a CPU configured to operate using power supply from the battery, and having a control output terminal configured to output a control signal;

a voltage detection circuit having an output terminal configured to output a signal in a case where a voltage of the battery is greater than or equal to a threshold;

a third switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when the control signal or the signal from the voltage detection circuit is input to the input terminal; and

a circuit configured to connect the control output terminal of the CPU and the output terminal of the voltage detection circuit to the input terminal of the third switch, and to shunt the input terminal of the first switch to ground in a case where the third switch is turned on.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the deactivation unit, in a case where a signal received from the external apparatus via the antenna is input, deactivates supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit, and

the control unit interrupts deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit, by interrupting the signal from the external apparatus to the deactivation unit.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the deactivation unit, in a case where a signal received from the external apparatus via the antenna is input, deactivates supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by shunting the antenna to ground.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the control unit operates using power that is supplied from a power source that is different from the external power, and

the apparatus further comprises an interrupt unit configured to interrupt deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit, based on a signal from the control unit.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the interrupt unit interrupts deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit, by shunting a signal path from the antenna to the deactivation unit to ground.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the deactivation unit has:

a first switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when a signal received from the external apparatus via the antenna is input to the input terminal; and

a circuit configured to connect the antenna to the input terminal of the first switch, and to shunt the antenna to ground in a case where the first switch is turned on, and

the control unit includes;

a CPU having a first control output terminal configured to output a first control signal and a second control output terminal configured to output a second control signal;

a second switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when the first control signal is input to the input terminal;

a state holding circuit configured to switch an internal state in accordance with an instruction of the second control signal and switch an output state of a signal in accordance with the internal state;

a third switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when a signal from the state holding circuit is input to the input terminal;

a circuit configured to connect the signal from the state holding circuit to the input terminal of the third switch, and to shunt the input terminal of the first switch to ground in a case where the third switch is turned on; and

a circuit configured to connect the first control output terminal to the input terminal of the second switch, and to shunt the input terminal of the third switch to ground in a case where the second switch is turned on.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a battery,

wherein the deactivation unit has;

a first switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when a signal received from the external apparatus via the antenna is input to the input terminal; and

a circuit configured to connect the antenna to the input terminal of the first switch, and to shunt the antenna to ground in a case where the first switch is turned on,

the control unit includes;

a CPU configured to operate using power supply from the battery and having a control output terminal configured to output a control signal;

a voltage detection circuit having an output terminal configured to output a signal in a case where a voltage of the battery is greater than or equal to a threshold;

a third switch having an input terminal and configured to be turned on when the control signal or the signal from the voltage detection circuit is input to the input terminal; and

a circuit configured to connect the control output terminal of the CPU and the output terminal of the voltage detection circuit to the input terminal of the third switch, and to shunt the input terminal of the first switch to ground in a case where the third switch is turned on.

18. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deactivation unit deactivates supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by shunting the antenna to ground via a resistor.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deactivation unit deactivates supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by changing a resonance frequency of the antenna.

20. The communication apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the deactivation unit changes the resonance frequency of the antenna by shunting the antenna to ground via a capasitor.

16. A method for controlling a communication apparatus that includes:

an antenna;

a communication unit configured to be able to use external power that is generated by receiving a signal from an external apparatus via the antenna, thereby transmitting a response to the signal that is received from the external apparatus to the external apparatus; and

a deactivation unit configured to, in a case where the external power is generated by receiving the signal from the external apparatus via the antenna, deactivate supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit,

the control method comprising;

performing control so as to interrupt deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling a communication apparatus that includes:

an antenna;

a communication unit configured to be able to use external power that is generated by receiving a signal from an external apparatus via the antenna, thereby transmitting a response to the signal that is received from the external apparatus to the external apparatus; and

a deactivation unit configured to, in a case where the external power is generated by receiving the signal from the external apparatus via the antenna, deactivate supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit,

the control method comprising;

performing control so as to interrupt deactivation of supply of the external power from the antenna to the communication unit by the deactivation unit.