Method and Apparatus for Generating Distress Signal

• US 20160192168A1
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HA, Do-Hyuk, LEE, Jung-Yub, LEE, Young-Ju
• Granted Patent: US 9,749,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0031 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0093 with one coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, and technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the above technologies, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. Disclosed are an apparatus and method for generating distress signals in a mobile device. The apparatus comprises a coil antenna for NFC communication, a first communication circuit configured to perform the NFC communication using the coil antenna in a normal mode, a second communication circuit transmitting a distress signal having a rescue-dedicated frequency through the coil antenna in a distress mode, a switch connecting the coil antenna to the first communication circuit or the second communication circuit, and a processor determining the normal mode or the distress mode to control the switch.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a distress signal in a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

a coil antenna configured for a short-range communication;

a first communication circuit configured to perform the short-range communication using the coil antenna in a normal mode;

a second communication circuit configured to transmit a distress signal having a rescue-dedicated frequency through the coil antenna during a distress mode;

a switch configured to connect the coil antenna to any one of the first communication circuit and the second communication circuit; and

a processor configured to determine the normal mode and the distress mode to control the switch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the short-range communication comprises at least one of near-field communication (NFC), wireless power transfer (WPT), or magnetic secure transmission (MST).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cover coil antenna disposed on at least one edge of a cover case of the mobile device to at least partially surround the coil antenna, and configured to be used for the rescue-dedicated frequency.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second communication circuit comprises a variable power amplifier configured to amplify the distress signal having the rescue-dedicated frequency to generate an amplified distress signal, and the variable power amplifier varies amplification of the distress signal to vary signal strength of the amplified distress signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second communication circuit further comprises a variable matching circuit having a matching value that varies depending on whether the cover case of the mobile device is open or closed.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor, when the mobile device fails to detect a user'"'"'s movement for a predetermined time, controls the switch to periodically connect the coil antenna to the second communication circuit for a predetermined transmission period, and wherein a duration of the coil antenna being connected to the second communication circuit and an interval between one connection to a next connection is varied depending on remaining battery power of the mobile device.

7. A method for generating a distress signal from a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining a distress mode;

connecting a coil antenna to a second communication circuit when the distress mode is detected, wherein the second communication circuit is configured to generate a distress signal having a rescue-dedicated frequency; and

connecting a coil antenna for short-range communication to a first communication circuit configured to perform the short-range communication when the distress mode is not detected.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the short-range communication comprises at least one of near-field communication (NFC), wireless power transfer (WPT), or magnetic secure transmission (MST).

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the coil antenna comprises a first coil antenna for the short-range communication of the mobile device and a cover coil antenna disposed on at least one edge of a cover case of the mobile device to at least partially surround the coil antenna, and the cover coil antenna is configured to be used for the rescue-dedicated frequency.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining comprises controlling a switch to periodically connect the coil antenna to the second communication circuit for a predetermined transmission period when the mobile device fails to detect a user'"'"'s movement for a predetermined time, and wherein a duration of connection of the coil antenna to the second communication circuit and an interval between one connection to a subsequent connection is varied depending on remaining battery power of the mobile device.

11. An apparatus for generating a distress signal in a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) module configured to perform cellular communication using a cellular antenna in a normal mode;

a reflecting circuit configured to transmit a distress signal by reflecting a detection signal received through the cellular antenna in a distress mode;

a switch configured to connect the cellular antenna to any one of the RF module and the reflecting circuit; and

a processor configured to determine the normal mode or the distress mode to control the switch.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the reflecting circuit comprises a Schottky diode biased by a direct current (DC) bias voltage.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the Schottky diode is disposed on a hinge of a cover case of the mobile device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the reflecting circuit further comprises a capacitor connected in parallel with the Schottky diode to collect power of signals that are not the distress signal from among signals received via the cellular antenna.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor, upon determining that there is little to no battery power for the mobile device or during a predetermined time period in a standby mode, controls the switch to connect the cellular antenna to the reflecting circuit.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor activates the distress mode when a still state lasts a predetermined time after a sudden movement has been detected by the mobile device, when the still state is maintained for a predetermined time in a predetermined abnormal time period, or when there is no response to incoming calls for a predetermined time.

17. A method for generating a distress signal from a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining a distress mode;

connecting a cellular antenna for cellular communication of the mobile device to a reflecting circuit configured to transmit a distress signal by reflecting a detection signal received through the cellular antenna when the distress mode is detected; and

connecting the cellular antenna to an RF circuit configured to perform the cellular communication when the distress mode is not detected.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the reflecting circuit comprises Schottky diode biased by a direct current (DC) bias voltage.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising connecting the cellular antenna to the reflecting circuit when there is little to no battery power for the mobile device or during a predetermined time period in a standby mode.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor activates the distress mode when a still state lasts a predetermined time after a sudden movement has been detected by the mobile device, when the still state is maintained for a predetermined time in a predetermined abnormal time period, or when there is no response to incoming calls for a predetermined time.