Communication channel establishing method, communication system, and communication apparatus

• US 8,014,441 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Seike, Yohko, Hiketa, Hitoshi, Sukegawa, Katsuhiko, Kimura, Youichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard; Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US11/731,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/220, 375/222, 375356-357, 375/259
• US Class Current: 375/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/44 in connection with interruption of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication channel establishing method is provided that is used in a communication system including a base station that transmits a beacon on a predetermined communication channel and a communication apparatus that receives the beacon from the base station and establishes communication with the base station using the predetermined communication channel. The method involves detecting at the base station whether a main power supply has been shut off, driving the base station by a backup power supply and transmitting a power supply shutoff notification signal from the base station to the communication apparatus upon detecting that the main power supply has been shut off, storing a current communication channel of the communication apparatus when the power supply shutoff notification signal from the base station is received by the communication unit, and reestablishing communication with the base station at the communication apparatus using the stored current communication channel upon recovery of the main power supply.

Claims

1. A communication channel establishing method used in a communication system including a base station that transmits a beacon on a predetermined communication channel and an electronic inventory tag including a communication unit that receives the beacon from the base station and establishes communication with the base station using the predetermined communication channel, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting at the base station whether a main power supply to supply power to the base station has been shut off;

driving the base station by a backup power supply and transmitting a power supply shutoff notification signal from the base station to the electronic inventory tag by wireless communication upon detecting that the main power supply has been shut off;

storing a current communication channel of the electronic inventory tag when the power supply shutoff notification signal from the base station is received by the communication unit, the electronic inventory tag including a display unit to display information about products and being driven by a battery; and

reestablishing wireless communication with the base station the electronic inventory tag using the stored current communication channel upon recovery of the main power supply,

wherein the beacon includes an identification number of the electronic inventory to with which the wireless communication is to be established, and

wherein the base station transmits the beacon periodically at a head of a frame, the frame including the beacon and a null beacon, the null beacon having a function different from the beacon.

2. The communication channel establishing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the communication apparatus stores current status information upon receiving the main power supply shutoff notification signal from the base station.

3. The communication channel establishing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the communication apparatus intermittently performs communication channel search for searching all communication channels, after receiving the main power supply shutoff notification signal from the base station by using the null beacon for accessing the base station.

4. The communication channel establishing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the base station transmits a main power supply recovery notification signal to the communication apparatus when the main power supply is turned on after being shut off;

and

the communication apparatus receives the main power supply recovery notification signal from the base station and reestablishes communication with the base station using the stored current communication channel.

5. A communication system comprising:

a base station that transmits a beacon on a predetermined communication channel; and

an electronic inventory tag including a communication unit that receives the beacon from the base station and establishes communication with the base station using the predetermined communication channel;

wherein

the base station detects whether a main power supply to supply power to the base station has been shut off, receives drive power from a backup power supply when the main power supply is shut off, and transmits a main power shutoff notification signal to the electronic inventory tag by wireless communication;

the electronic inventory tag stores a current communication channel upon receiving the main power shutoff notification signal from the base station, the electronic inventory tag including a display unit to display information about products and being driven by a battery, and reestablishes wireless communication with the base station using the stored current communication channel upon recovery of the main power supply;

the beacon includes an identification number of the electronic inventory tag with which the wireless communication is to be established; and

the base station transmits the beacon periodically at a head of a frame, the frame including the beacon and a null beacon, the null beacon having a function different from the beacon.

6. An electronic inventory tag including a communications unit that receives a beacon from a base station and establishes communication using a communication channel according to the received beacon, the electronic inventory tag comprising:

said communications unit that establishes wireless communication with the base station; and

a control unit that stores a current communication channel of the electronic inventory tag upon receiving a main power supply shutoff notification signal indicating that a main power supply to supply power to the base station has been shut off from the base station via the communications unit, and searches subsequent beacons transmitted from the base station using the stored current communication channel,

wherein the electronic inventory tag includes a display unit to display information about products and being driven by a battery,

wherein the beacon includes an identification number of the electronic inventory tag with which the wireless communication is to be established, and

wherein the base station transmits the beacon periodically at a head of a frame, the frame including the beacon and a null beacon, the null beacon having a function different from the beacon.