Portable terminal system including portable terminal mounting base

• US 7,543,746 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizutani, Tomokazu, Shigekusa, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Seung H
• Application Number:
  US11/156,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20060006234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/451, 235/472.01, 235/492, 235/462.43, 235/462.44, 235/462.46, 235/472.02, 235/472.03
• US Class Current: 235/451
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

In a portable terminal system, a mounting base is equipped with a RFID section capable of performing RF communication with a RFID section of a portable terminal. As soon as the portable terminal is placed on the mounting base, both RFID sections start RF communication so that the data having been read from a RFID tag into the portable terminal can be quickly transmitted from the portable terminal to the mounting base. The data being transmitted from the portable terminal to the mounting base is further transmitted from the mounting base to a host computer. Thus, the portable terminal can use a common interface to read the data from the RFID tag and also transmit the data having been read from the RFID tag to the mounting base.

Claims

1. A portable terminal system comprising:

a portable terminal including a first RFID section and a battery;

a portable terminal mounting base including a second RFID section and a communication control section and having a casing which mounts said portable terminal, wherein

said first RFID section performs RF communication with both an external RFID tag and said portable terminal mounting base, and operates under an operating power supplied from said battery,

said second RFID section performs RF communication with said first RFID section, and said communication control section performs data communication with an external apparatus,

said portable terminal mounting base transmits first data from said communication control section to said external apparatus, after said first RFID section of said portable terminal transmits, by RF communication, the first data to said second RFID section,

said portable terminal mounting base transmits, by RF communication, second data from said second RFID section to said first RFID section of said portable terminal after said external apparatus transmits the second data to said communication control section,

said first RFID section operates as a RFID master station performing RF communication with said external RFID tag, and also operates as a RFID slave station storing identification information identifying said portable terminal, and

said second RFID section operates as a RFID master station performing RF communication with said first RFID section after the identity of the portable terminal is verified using identification information contained in the RF communication with said first RFID section, said first RFID section operating as the RFID slave station.

2. The portable terminal system according to claim 1, wherein

said first RFID section operates selectively as said RFID master station or said RFID slave station.

3. The portable terminal system according to claim 1, wherein

said first RFID section supplies operating power to said external RFID tag when said first RFID section operates as said RFID master station and performs RF communication with said external RFID tag, and

said second RFID section supplies operating power to said first RFID section when said second RFID section performs RF communication with said first RFID section operating as said RFID slave station.

4. The portable terminal system according to claim 1, wherein

said first RFID section modulates a carrier wave transmitted from said second RFID section without amplifying said carrier wave, and transmits the carrier wave with superimposed data to said second RFID section.

5. The portable terminal system according to claim 1, wherein

said first RFID section amplifies a carrier wave transmitted from said second RFID section and modulates said amplified carrier wave, and transmits the carrier wave with superimposed data to said second RFID section.

6. The portable terminal system according to claim 1, wherein

said first RFID section produces a carrier wave and modulates said carrier wave, and transmits the carrier wave with superimposed data to said second RFID section.

7. A portable terminal system comprising:

a portable terminal including a first RFID section and a battery;

a portable terminal mounting base including a second RFID section and a communication control section and having a casing which mounts said portable terminal, wherein

said first RFID section performs RF communication with both an external RFID tag and said portable terminal mounting base, and operates under an operating power supplied from said battery,

said second RFID section performs RF communication with said first RFID section, and said communication control section performs data communication with an external apparatus,

said portable terminal mounting base transmits first data from said communication control section to said external apparatus, after said first RFID section of said portable terminal transmits, by RF communication, the first data to said second RFID section,

said portable terminal mounting base transmits, by RF communication, second data from said second RFID section to said first RFID section of said portable terminal after said external apparatus transmits the second data to said communication control section,

said second RFID section operates as a RFID slave station storing identification information identifying said portable terminal mounting base, and

said first RFID section performs RF communication with said external RFID tag, and also operates as a RFID master station performing RF communication with said second RFID section after the identity of the portable terminal mounting base is verified using identification information contained in an RF communication with said second RFID section operating as a RFID slave station.

8. The portable terminal system according to claim 7, wherein

said first RFID section performs RF communication with said external RFID tag according to first RF communication procedure, and

said first RFID section performs RF communication with said second RFID section operating as a RFID slave station according to second RF communication procedure which is different from said first RF communication procedure.

9. The portable terminal system according to claim 8, wherein

said first RFID section, when performing RF communication with said external RFID tag according to the first RF communication procedure, supplies operating power to said external RFID tag, and

said first RFID section, when performing RF communication with said second RFID section operating as a RFID slave station according to the second RF communication procedure, supplies no operating power to said second RFID section.

10. A mounting base for mounting a portable terminal including a first RFID section and a battery, the first RFID section performing RF communication with an external RFID tag and the mounting base and operating under an operating power supplied from the battery, the mounting base comprising;

a casing which mounts the portable terminal;

a second RFID section which performs RF communication with the first RFID section; and

a communication control section which performs data communication with an external apparatus, wherein

said communication control section transmits first data to said external apparatus, after the first RFID section of the portable terminal transmits, by RF communication, the first data to said second RFID section,

said second RFID section transmits, by RF communication, second data to the first RFID section of the portable terminal after said external apparatus transmits the second data to said communication control section,

said first RFID section operates as a RFID master station performing RF communication with said external RFID tag, and also operates as a RFID slave station storing identification information identifying said portable terminal, and

said second RFID section operates as a RFID master station performing RF communication with said first RFID section after the identity of the portable terminal is verified using identification information contained in the RF communication with said first RFID section, said first RFID section operating as the RFID slave station.

11. A mounting base for mounting a portable terminal including a first RFID section and a battery, the first RFID section performing RF communication with an external RFID tag and the mounting base and operating under an operating power supplied from the battery, the mounting base comprising:

a casing which mounts the portable terminal;

a second RFID section which performs RF communication with the first RFID section; and

a communication control section which performs data communication with an external apparatus, wherein

said communication control section transmits first data to said external apparatus, after the first RFID section of the portable terminal transmits, by RF communication, the first data to said second RFID section,

said second RFID section transmits, by RF communication, second data to the first RFID section of the portable terminal after said external apparatus transmits the second data to said communication control section,

said second RFID section operates as a RFID slave station storing identification information identifying said mounting base, and

said first RFID section performs RF communication with said external RFID tag, and also operates as a RFID master station performing RF communication with said second RFID section after the identity of the mounting base is verified using identification information contained in an RF communication with said second RFID section operating as a RFID slave station.