Communication partner device for communication with another communication partner device over a first communication channel

• US 7,573,845 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: France Brevets SAS
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Posch, Stefan, Harnisch, Markus, Kunkat, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US10/541,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 359/172, 370328-334, 370/338, 370/352, 380270-273, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/464, 455410-411, 455 411- 413, 455517-519, 455/426.1, 455/445, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In a communication partner device (2A) which belongs to a communication system (1) having at least two such communication partner devices (2A, 2B) and which is designed for contactless communication over a first communication channel (4), wherein one of the two communication partner devices (2A, 2B) contains a communication enable information item (CEIA, CEIB) which is used to enable communication between the one communication partner device (2A) and the other communication partner device (2B) over the first communication channel (4), a communication stage (5A) is provided which is designed for contactless communication with a communication stage (5B) of the other communication partner device (2B) over a second communication channel (7) and which, in the event of communication over the second communication channel (7), is designed to make available the communication enable information item (CEIA, CEIB), necessary for communication over the first communication channel (4), in the communication partner device (2A, 2B) which prior to communication over the second communication channel (7) does not yet contain the communication enable information item (CEIA, CEIB).

Claims

1. A communication partner device which belongs to a communication system having at least two such communication partner devices and which is designed to communicate with another communication partner device of the communication system over a first communication channel, wherein one of the two communication partner devices contains a communication enable information item which is used to enable communication between the one communication partner device and the other communication partner device over the first communication channel, and

which is designed to interact with an electrical circuit, which circuit has circuit parts for forming communication means which are designed for contactless communication with communication means of the other communication partner device over a second communication channel and which, in the event of communication over the second communication channel, are designed to make available the communication enable information item, necessary for enabling communication over the first communication channel, in the communication partner device which prior to communication over the second communication channel does not yet contain the communication enable information item,

wherein the electrical circuit includes a plurality of interfaces configured for communication over the first communication channel, the interfaces including a Bluetooth interface, an infra-red light interface, and a wireless large area network interface for communication over the first communication channel, the electrical circuit further including a transmission device configured for transmission of carrier signals over the second communication channel,

wherein the communication means are designed, in the event of communication over the second communication channel, to communicate in accordance with a communication protocol, and wherein the communication means are designed to make available the communication enable information item by using at least one of two activation commands of the communication protocol, which activation commands can be communicated between the two communication partner devices in accordance with the communication protocol as first commands over the second communication channel and are provided in order to activate communication in compliance with the communication protocol.

2. A communication partner device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication means are designed to make available the communication enable information item directly after the start of communication over the second communication channel.

3. A communication partner device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication means are designed to receive the communication enable information item, contained in the other communication partner device, over the second communication channel, and

wherein the circuit has a provision stage which is designed to provide the communication enable information item, received by the communication means, for enabling communication over the first communication channel.

4. A communication partner device as claimed in claim 1, wherein communication start means are provided which are designed to interact with the communication means and are designed to use the communication enable information item of the other communication partner device, which can be made available, to start communication with the other communication partner device over the first communication channel as soon as the communication enable information item has been made available by the communication means.

5. A communication partner device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication partner device has storage means which are provided for storing the communication enable information item contained therein, and

wherein the circuit has an interrogation stage which is designed to interrogate the communication enable information item stored in the storage means, and

wherein the communication means are designed to transmit the communication enable information item, which can be interrogated, to the communication means of the other communication partner device over the second communication channel.

6. A communication partner device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication enable information item contains an interface type information item which indicates the interfaces that are available in the communication partner device for communication over the first communication channel.

7. A communication partner device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication enable information item contains, in addition to the interface type information item, an interface preference information item which signifies one of the interfaces that is preferred in the communication partner device containing the communication enable information item.

8. A communication partner device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication enable information item contains an interface designation information item which signifies an interface that is available in the communication partner device containing the communication enable information item, which interface is designed for communication over the first communication channel.

9. A communication partner device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication enable information item contains a communication partner designation information item which signifies the communication partner device that contains the communication enable information item.

10. A circuit for a communication partner device, which communication partner device belongs to a communication system having at least two such communication partner devices and is designed to communicate with another communication partner device the communication system over a first communication channel, wherein one of the two communication partner devices contains a communication enable information item which is used to enable communication between the one communication partner device and the other communication partner device over the first communication channel,

which circuit has circuit parts for forming communication means which are designed for contactless communication with communication means of the other communication partner device over a second communication channel and which, in the event of communication over the second communication channel, are designed to make available the communication enable information item, necessary for enabling communication over the first communication channel, in the communication partner device which prior to communication over the second communication channel does not yet contain the communication enable information item,

wherein the circuit includes a plurality of interfaces configured for communication over the first communication channel, the interfaces including a˜

of a Bluetooth interface, an infra-red light interface, and a wireless large area network interface for communication over the first communication channel, the circuit further including a transmission device configured for transmission of carrier signals over the second communication channel,

wherein the communication means are designed, in the event of communication over the second communication channel, to communicate in accordance with a communication protocol, and

wherein the communication means are designed to make available the communication enable information item by using at least one of two activation commands of the communication protocol, which activation commands can be communicated between the two communication partner devices in accordance with the communication protocol as first commands over the second communication channel and are provided in order to activate communication in compliance with the communication protocol.

11. A circuit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the communication means are designed to make available the communication enable information item directly after the start of communication over the second communication channel.

12. A circuit as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the communication means are designed to receive the communication enable information item, contained in the other communication partner device, over the second communication channel, and

wherein the circuit has a provision stage which is designed to provide the communication enable information item, received by the communication means, for enabling communication over the first communication channel.

13. A circuit as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the circuit has an interrogation stage which is designed to interrogate the communication enable information item contained in the communication partner, and

wherein the communication means are designed to transmit the communication enable information item, which can be interrogated, to the communication means of the other communication partner device over the second communication channel.

14. A circuit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the communication enable information item contains an interface type information item which indicates the interfaces that are available in the communication partner device for communication over the first communication channel.

15. A circuit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the communication enable information item contains, in addition to the interface type information item, an interface preference information item which signifies one of the interfaces that is preferred in the communication partner device containing the communication enable information item.

16. A circuit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the communication enable information item contains an interface designation information item which signifies an interface that is available in the communication partner device containing the communication enable information item, which interface is designed for communication over the first communication channel.

17. A circuit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the communication enable information item contains a communication partner designation information item which signifies the communication partner device that contains the communication enable information item.

18. A communication enabling method for enabling communication over a first communication channel between a communication partner device which belongs to a communication system having at least two such communication partner devices, and another communication partner device of the communication system, wherein one of the two communication partner devices contains a communication enable information item and

wherein the communication enable information item is used to enable communication between the one communication partner device and the other communication partner device over the first communication channel using one of a plurality of interfaces of the one communication partner device configured for communication over the first communication channel, the interfaces including of a Bluetooth interface, an infra-red light interface, and a wireless large area network interface for communication over the first communication channel, and

wherein contactless communication is effected over a second communication channel using communication means of the one communication partner device and using communication means of the other communication partner device, each of the one communication partner device and the other communication partner device including a transmission device configured for transmission of carrier signals over the second communication channel, and

wherein, in the event of such communication over the second communication channel, the communication enable information item, necessary for enabling communication over the first communication channel, is made available in the communication partner device which prior to communication over the second communication channel does not yet contain the communication enable information item,

wherein, in the event of communication over the second communication channel, communication is effected in accordance with a communication protocol, and

wherein the communication enable information item, is communicated between the two communication partner devices in accordance with the communication protocol over the second communication channel by using at least one of two activation commands of the communication protocol, which activation commands are transmitted as first commands of the communication protocol in order to activate communication in compliance with the communication protocol.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the communication enable information item is made available directly after the start of communication over the second communication channel.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18,

wherein, with the aid of the communication means, the communication enable information item is received over the second communication channel and

wherein, with the aid of a provision stage which is designed to provide the communication enable information item received by the communication means, the communication enable information item for enabling communication over the first communication channel is provided.

21. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, with the aid of communication start means which are designed to interact with the communication means and are designed to use the communication enable information item of the other communication partner device, which has been provided, to staff communication with the other communication partner device over the first communication channel, communication with the other communication partner device over the first communication channel using the communication enable information item which has been made available is started as soon as the communication enable information item has been made available by the communication means.

22. A method as claimed in claim 18,

wherein, with the aid of an interrogation stage which is designed to interrogate the communication enable information item stored in storage means of the one communication partner device, the stored communication enable information item is interrogated by the storage means and

wherein, with the aid of the communication means, the communication enable information item, which has been interrogated by the storage means, is transmitted to the communication means of the other communication partner device over the second communication channel.

23. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the communication enable information item contains an interface type information item which indicates the interfaces that are available in the one communication partner device for communication over the first communication channel.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the communication enable information item contains, in addition to the interface type information item, an interface preference information item which signifies one of the interfaces that is preferred in the communication partner device containing the communication enable information item.

25. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the communication enable information item contains an interface designation information item which signifies an interface that is available in the communication partner device containing the communication enable information item, which interface is designed for communication over the first communication channel.

26. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the communication enable information item contains a communication partner designation information item which signifies the communication partner device that contains the communication enable information item.