Communication partner appliance with automatic send mode activation

• US 8,150,316 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• 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:
  US13/250,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20120021681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1
• 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

A circuit is implemented for a near field communication (NFC) system which includes a communication partner appliance. The circuit is a data carrier which includes activators, a receiver, a detector, and a processor. The activators activate a first or second communication mode. The receiver receives a carrier signal that is transmitted to the communication partner appliance by another communication partner appliance. The detector detects the presence of the received carrier signal and transmits a carrier signal present signal or a carrier signal not-present signal. The processor recognizes a command signal transmitted with the carrier signal. The processor also generates and transmits a command-end signal that is separate from the transmitted command signal and represents the end of the transmitted command signal. The processor also determines whether, after the occurrence of the command-end signal, the carrier signal present signal is present. The processor also transmits a first or second activation signal.

Claims

1. A circuit which includes a communication partner appliance that is designed for contact less communication and as a data carrier with at least one further communication partner appliance, the circuit comprising:

activators to activate a first communication mode or a second communication mode of the communication partner appliance;

a receiver to receive a carrier signal that is transmitted to the communication partner appliance by the at least one further communication partner appliance;

a detector coupled to the receiver, wherein the detector is configured to detect the presence of the received carrier signal and to transmit within the circuit of the communication partner appliance a carrier signal present signal in the event that the carrier signal is present, and otherwise to transmit within the circuit of the communication partner appliance a carrier signal not-present signal as a consequence of a missing carrier signal; and

a processor coupled to the detector and the activators, wherein the processor is configured to;

recognize a command signal transmitted to the communication partner appliance with the carrier signal;

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;

determine whether, after the occurrence of the command-end signal, the carrier signal present signal is present; and

transmit a first activation signal to the activators when the carrier signal present signal is present to bring the circuit into the first communication mode, and otherwise transmit a second activation signal to the activators to bring the circuit into the second communication mode.

2. A circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system, and wherein the activators are further configured to activate a passive communication mode as the first communication mode, in which a power supply for the circuit is dependent on the carrier signal.

3. A circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system, and wherein the activators are further configured to activate an active communication mode as the second communication mode, in which a power supply for the circuit is independent of the carrier signal.

4. A circuit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the independent power supply comprises a battery.

5. A communication partner appliance that is designed as a data carrier and is equipped with a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system as claimed in claim 1.

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

7. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system.

8. A circuit which includes a communication partner appliance that is designed for contact less communication and as a communication station with at least one further communication partner appliance, the circuit comprising:

a generator to generate a carrier signal;

a transmitter coupled to the generator, the transmitter configured to transmit the carrier signal to the further communication partner appliance; and

a processor coupled to the generator and the transmitter, wherein the processor is configured to;

arrange a communication mode of the communication partner appliance;

generate at least one command signal to be transmitted to the further communication partner appliance with the aid of the carrier signal;

generate and transmit, 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

end the generation and/or transmission of the carrier signal in response to the command end signal.

9. A circuit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the circuit comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system, and wherein the communication mode of the circuit comprises an active communication mode, in which the further communication partner appliance has a power supply that is independent of the carrier signal from the generator of the communication partner appliance.

10. A circuit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the circuit comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system, and wherein the communication mode of the circuit comprises a passive communication mode, in which the further communication partner appliance has a power supply that is dependent on the carrier signal from the generator of the communication partner appliance.

11. A circuit as claimed in claim 8, the circuit comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system, and further comprising an energy source detector configured to recognize an energy source for supplying power to the circuit and to transmit an energy source recognition signal to the processor, wherein the energy source recognition signal on the recognized energy source, and wherein the processor is further configured to arrange the communication mode depending on the energy source recognition signal.

12. A circuit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the circuit comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system, and wherein the processor is further configured to detect a response signal transmitted by the further communication partner appliance to the communication partner appliance and to generate a change-over signal, wherein the is further configured to automatically arrange the communication mode depending on the generated change-over signal.

13. A circuit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the circuit comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system, and wherein the processor is further configured to influence a signal strength of the carrier signal depending on the arranged communication mode.

14. A communication partner appliance that is designed as a communication station and is equipped with a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system as claimed in claim 8.

15. A circuit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the communication partner appliance comprises a near field communication (NFC) device for a NFC system.

16. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the circuit comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system.

17. A method for activating a first communication mode or a second communication mode of a communication partner appliance, the method comprising:

transmitting a carrier signal to the communication partner appliance from a further communication partner appliance;

detecting a presence of the received carrier signal in the communication partner appliance;

transmitting, within the communication partner appliance, a carrier signal present signal in response to detecting the presence of the received carrier signal, and otherwise transmitting within the communication partner appliance a carrier signal not-present signal as a consequence of a missing carrier signal;

recognizing a command signal transmitted to the communication partner appliance with the carrier signal;

subsequently generating and transmitting, within 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; 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.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication partner appliance comprises a near field communication (NFC) device for a NFC system.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication partner appliance comprises a near field communication (NFC) circuit for a NFC system, and wherein activating the first communication mode or the second communication mode of the communication partner appliance further comprises activating the first communication mode or the second communication mode of the communication partner appliance within the NFC system.