Communication partner appliance with automatic send mode activation

• US 8,060,010 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Breitfuss, Klemens
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jain; Ankur
• Application Number:
  US10/577,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,574 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 340/10.1, 340/505, 340/572.1, 340/10.34
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• 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: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In a data carrier (2) which is provided as a communication partner appliance for a communication system with at least one further communication partner appliance (3, 40), a first communication mode or a second communication mode can be activated. A detection device (32) for detecting the presence of a received carrier signal (RS) transmits a carrier signal present signal (PS) in the event of a carrier signal (RS) being present, and otherwise a carrier signal not-present signal (NPS). A command signal that can be transmitted with the aid of the carrier signal (RS) triggers a determination stage (27) for determining whether after the end of the command signal has occurred, at a given measurement point in time, the carrier signal present signal (PS) is present. If the carrier signal present signal (PS) is present, the data carrier (2) is brought into the first communication mode with the aid of activators (30, 35); otherwise, it is brought into the second communication mode.

Claims

1. A circuit, this circuit being provided for a communication partner appliance that is designed for contact less communication and as a data carrier, this communication partner appliance being provided for a communication system with at least one further communication partner appliance, in which circuit a first communication mode or a second communication mode can be activated, and which circuit has the means listed below:

activators for activating the first communication mode or the second communication mode, and

reception means for receiving a carrier signal that is transmitted by the at least one further communication partner appliance, and

detectors for detecting the presence of the received carrier signal, these detectors transmitting within the circuit of the communication partner appliance a carrier signal present signal in the event that the carrier signal is present, and otherwise transmitting within the circuit of the communication partner appliance a carrier signal not-present signal as a consequence of a missing carrier signal, and

command signal recognition means for recognizing a command signal that can be transmitted with the aid of the carrier signal, and wherein the command signal recognition means is further configured to subsequently generate and transmit within the circuit of the communication partner appliance a command-end signal that is separate from the transmitted command signal and represents the end of the transmitted command signal, and

determination means for determining whether, after the occurrence of the command-end signal, at a given measurement point in time, the carrier signal present signal is present, with which determination means a first activation signal can be transmitted when the carrier signal present signal is present, and otherwise a second activation signal can be transmitted, with which first activation signal the circuit can be brought into the first communication mode with the aid of the activators, and with which second activation signal the circuit can be brought into the second communication mode with the aid of the activators.

2. A circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activators are designed to activate a passive communication mode as the first communication mode, and an active communication mode as the second communication mode, wherein in the case of the active communication mode, a power supply for the circuit is provided that is independent of the carrier signal, and in the case of the passive communication mode, a power supply for the circuit is provided that is dependent on the carrier signal.

3. A circuit as claimed in claim 2, wherein a battery or accumulator is provided for the independent power supply.

4. A communication partner appliance that is designed as a data carrier and is equipped with a circuit as claimed in claim 1.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the communication partner appliance comprises a near field communication (NFC) device.

6. A circuit, this circuit being provided for a communication partner appliance that is designed for contact less communication and as a communication station, this communication partner appliance being provided for a communication system with at least one further communication partner appliance in which further communication partner appliance a first communication mode or a second communication mode can be activated, this circuit containing the means listed below:

production means for producing a carrier signal, and

transmission means for transmitting the carrier signal to the further communication partner appliance, and

arranging means for arranging a communication mode, and

a generator for generating at least one command signal, which command signal can be transmitted to the further communication partner appliance with the aid of the carrier signal and

first control elements for subsequently generating and transmitting, within the circuit of the communication partner appliance, a command-end signal that is separate from the generated command signal and represents the end of the generated command signal, and

second control elements with which second control elements after the occurrence of the command-end signal the generation and/or transmission of the carrier signal can be ended at a particular point in time.

7. A circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the arranging means are designed for the optional arrangement of an active communication mode or a passive communication mode, in which active communication mode the further communication partner appliance has a power supply that is independent of the carrier signal and in which passive communication mode the further communication partner appliance has a power supply that is dependent on the carrier signal.

8. A circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein energy source recognition means are provided, these energy source recognition means being adapted to recognize an energy source for supplying power to the circuit and with which energy source recognition means an energy source recognition signal can be transmitted depending on the energy source that has been recognized, and wherein the arranging means are designed to arrange the communication mode depending on the energy source recognition signal.

9. A circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein response signal detectors are provided, for detecting a response signal transmitted by the further communication partner appliance in the course of which detection a change-over signal can be generated, and wherein the arranging means are designed to automatically arrange the communication mode depending on the change-over signal that has been generated.

10. A circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein influencing means are provided for influencing a signal strength of the carrier signal depending on the arranged communication mode.

11. A communication partner appliance that is designed as a communication station and is equipped with a circuit as claimed in claim 6.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication partner appliance comprises a near field communication (NFC) device.

13. A method for activating a first communication mode or a second communication mode of a communication partner appliance wherein the communication partner appliance is provided for a communication system with at least one further communication partner appliance, and wherein a carrier signal is transmitted by the at least one further communication partner appliance this carrier signal being received with the communication partner appliance, the method comprising:

detecting a presence of the received carrier signal in the communication partner appliance, and in the event of the carrier signal being present, transmitting within the circuit of the communication partner appliance a carrier signal present signal, and otherwise transmitting within the circuit of the communication partner appliance a carrier signal not-present signal as a consequence of a missing carrier signal,

recognizing a command signal that can be transmitted with the aid of the carrier signal,

subsequently generating and transmitting within the circuit of the communication partner appliance a command-end signal that is separate from the transmitted command signal and represents the end of the transmitted command signal,

determining whether the carrier signal present signal is present, after the occurrence of the command-end signal at a measurement point in time, and

transmitting a first activation signal to activate the communication partner appliance into the first communication mode in response to a determination that the carrier signal present signal is present, and otherwise transmitting a second activation signal to activate the communication partner appliance into the second communication mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication partner appliance comprises a near field communication (NFC) device.