Wireless communication device interconnectivity

• US 7,536,155 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Horrell, Peter Robert George, Forster, Ian J
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P
• Assistant Examiner(s): BALAOING, ARIEL A
• Application Number:
  US11/515,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20060290474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/575.5, 455/82, 455/129, 340/10.2, 333/124
• US Class Current: 455/82
• 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: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A wireless communication device that is attached or included in an electronic object, such as a portable computer, having its own separate communication system. The separate communication system has an antenna for receiving and transmitting wireless communications, and is powered by a power supply included in the object. Since the separate communication system can only communicate when powered, a separate passive wireless communication device is provided for wireless communication that does not require power from the power supply to communicate. The wireless communication device is interfaced with the existing antenna of the separate communication system so that the wireless communication device and separate communication system share a common antenna to reduce cost. The antenna may also be interconnected to a controller associated with the object so that the controller can directly communicate to the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a computing device having an antenna for wireless communications, wherein the antenna is configured to receive communication signals having a defined operating frequency for processing by the computing device, and wherein the computing device further comprises a wireless communication module coupled to the antenna; and

a wireless communication device coupled directly to the antenna of the computing device such that the wireless communication device does not require power from a power supply of the computing device to communicate, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive communication signals from the antenna if the wireless communication module is inoperable.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is inoperable if the computing device is powered off.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a portable computer.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is a WLAN module.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is a Bluetooth module.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is coupled directly to the antenna via a common connection point.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the computing device is configured to disconnect the wireless communication device from the common connection point if the computing device is powered on or if the wireless communication module is operable.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the computing device is configured to disconnect the wireless communication device from the common connection point by opening a normally closed switch.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication device is connected to the common connection point via the normally closed switch, wherein the normally closed switch is configured to connect the wireless communication device to the antenna if the computing device is powered off or if the wireless communication module is not operable.

10. A device, comprising:

a computing device including an antenna for wireless communications and a wireless communications module coupled to the antenna; and

a wireless communication device selectively coupled to the antenna via a switch that is configured to connect the wireless communication device to the antenna if the computing device is powered off or if the wireless communication device is inoperable and that is further configured to disconnect the wireless communication device from the antenna if the computing device is powered on or if the wireless communication module is operable.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the computing device is a portable computer.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication module is a WLAN module.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication module is a Bluetooth module.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication device is coupled directly to the antenna via a common connection point.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the switch is a normally closed switch that is configured to be controlled by the computing device to disconnect the wireless communication device from the antenna if the computing device is powered on or if the wireless communication module is operable.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication device is connected to the antenna via the normally closed switch, wherein the normally closed switch is configured to connect the wireless communication device to the antenna if the computing device is powered off or if the wireless communication module is not operable.

17. A method of sharing a common antenna for communications, the method comprising:

receiving communication signals having a first defined operating frequency for processing by a wireless communication module of a computing device via the common antenna if the wireless communication module is operable; and

receiving communication signals having a second defined operating frequency for processing by a wireless communication device directly coupled to the common antenna via the common antenna if the wireless communication module is inoperable,

wherein the wireless communication device does not require power from a power supply of the computing device to receive communication signals.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said receiving communication signals having a first defined operating frequency comprises disconnecting the wireless communication device from the common antenna if the wireless communication module is operable.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication device is disconnected from the common antenna by opening a normally closed switch between the wireless communication device and the common antenna.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication module is inoperable if the computing device is powered off.

21. A method, comprising:

directly coupling a wireless communication device to an antenna of a computing device, wherein the computing device comprises a wireless communication module coupled to the antenna; and

providing a switch between the wireless communication device and the antenna, wherein the switch is configured to open if the computing device is powered on and configured to close if the computing device is powered off such that the wireless communications device is enabled to receive communication signals from the antenna when the computing device is powered off.