Communications Apparatus

• US 20160234631A1
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: BROWN, Robert, SYMONS, Peter Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,894,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Communications apparatus has a short range wireless radio frequency communicator (1301a) capable of at least one of seeking to initiate short range communication by transmitting an RF signal and of responding to such initiation so that communication between two short range wireless radio frequency communicators occurs when an antenna of a short range wireless radio frequency communicator seeking to initiate communication by transmitting an RF signal is in range of or comes into range of the antenna of another short range wireless radio frequency communicator responsive to such initiation so that the magnetic field of the RF signal transmitted by the short range wireless radio frequency communicator seeking to initiate communication is inductively coupled to the antenna of the short range wireless radio frequency communicator responsive to such initiation to enable communication of at least one of power and data between the short range wireless radio frequency communicators. The communications apparatus also has a high data rate data communicator (1301b) for communicating directly with another high data rate data communicator to at least one of receive and transmit data when the short range wireless radio frequency communicator (1301a) has communicated with another in-range short range wireless radio frequency communicator.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. An apparatus, comprising:

a first communication device configured to;

initiate communication with a second communication device to enable communication between the first communication device and the second communication device in accordance with a first communication protocol, and

derive a power supply from a communication signal received from the second communication device; and

a third communication device configured to;

wirelessly communicate with a fourth communication device in accordance with a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, the third communication device comprising;

a switch configured to;

couple the third communication device to an energy storage device at times where the power supply is not being provided by the first communication device, and

decouple the third communication device from the energy storage device at times where the power supply is being provided by the first communication device.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the first communication protocol comprises:

a short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol, and

wherein the second communication protocol comprises;

a long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol,

wherein the short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol is able to communicate over a shorter range than the long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol comprises:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) protocol;

or

a near field communication (NFC) protocol.

36. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol comprises:

a wireless universal serial bus (USB) communication protocol, or

a Bluetooth communication protocol.

37. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the energy storage device comprises:

a battery;

a capacitor;

a solar cell;

an electromechanical generator;

an acoustic transducer; and

a fuel cell.

38. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the energy storage device is chargeable or rechargeable.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the third communication device further comprises:

a charging energy supplier configured to provide charging energy to the energy storage device.

40. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the third communication device further comprises:

a contactless coupling configured to;

inductively receive a charging energy, and

provide the charging energy to the energy storage device.

41. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the power supply is configured to provide charging energy to the energy storage device.

42. An apparatus, comprising:

a first communication device configured to;

derive a power supply from a communication signal that is received in accordance with a first communication protocol; and

a second communication device configured to;

wirelessly communicate in accordance with a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, the second communication device comprising;

a switch configured to;

couple the second communication device to the energy storage device at times where the power supply is not being provided by the first communication device, and

decouple the second communication device from the energy storage device at times where the power supply is being provided by the first communication device.

43. The apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the first communication protocol comprises:

a short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol, and

wherein the second communication protocol comprises;

a long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol,

wherein the short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol is able to communicate over a shorter range than the long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol.

44. The apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol comprises:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) protocol;

or

a near field communication (NFC) protocol.

45. The apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol comprises:

a wireless universal serial bus (USB) communication protocol, or

a Bluetooth communication protocol.

46. The apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the energy storage device comprises:

a battery;

a capacitor;

a solar cell;

an electromechanical generator,

an acoustic transducer; and

a fuel cell.

47. The apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the energy storage device is chargeable or rechargeable.

48. The apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the second communication device further comprises:

a charging energy supplier configured to provide charging energy to the energy storage device.

49. The apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the second communication device further comprises:

a contactless coupling configured to;

inductively receive a charging energy, and

provide the charging energy to the energy storage device.

50. The apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the power supply is configured to provide charging energy to the energy storage device.