Communication apparatus and method for preventing interference with information transmitted from another communication apparatus

• US 7,610,021 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mimoto, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US10/785,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/140, 455/63.1, 455/505, 455/550.1, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 340/505, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/10.52
• US Class Current: 455/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

A communication apparatus and method for preventing interference with information transmitted from one apparatus to another apparatus. The apparatus and method comprising selecting M different numbers, receiving a signal, generating a clock from the received signal, counting the generated clock, and transmitting information according to the clock count and the selected numbers, wherein if the information is determined to be invalid, the information is re-transmitted.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a receiving device configured to receive an instruction signal instructing to transmit identification information;

a number generating device configured to generate M different random numbers in response to receipt of the instruction signal;

a power generating device configured to generate power for operating the communication apparatus from the instruction signal received by the receiving device;

a clock decoding device configured to decode a clock contained in the instruction signal received by the receiving device;

a counting device configured to count the decoded clock;

a determination device configured to determine whether the number of clocks counted by the counting device matches one of the M different random numbers generated by the number generating device; and

a transmitting device configured to transmit identification information of the communication apparatus, each time the number of clocks counted by the counting device matches one of the M different random numbers generated by the number generating device.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus is a radio tag.

3. A method for communicating by a communication apparatus, the method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving an instruction signal for instructing to transmit identification information;

a number generating step of generating M different random numbers in response to receiving of the instruction signal by the receiving device;

a power generating step of generating power for operating the communication apparatus from the instruction signal received in the receiving step;

a clock decoding step of decoding a clock contained in the instruction signal received in the receiving step;

a counting step of counting the generated clock;

a determining step of determining whether the number of clocks counted in the counting step matches one of the M different random numbers generated in the number generating step; and

a transmitting step of transmitting identification information of the communication apparatus, each time the number of clocks counted in the counting step matches one of the M different random numbers generated in the number generating step.