Communication apparatus for setting up a data connection between intelligent devices

• US 8,174,360 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nera Innovations Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
• Inventors: Finkenzeller, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUN, NAY L
• Application Number:
  US10/565,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20060244630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,840 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 340/539.23, 340/686.6, 340/658, 340/13.2, 340/101, 455/41.1, 455/106
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication apparatus for automatically setting up a data connection between two intelligent devices (10, 20, 30). The apparatus comprises a coil (13, 23, 33) for carrying out a contactless data exchange which is part of a transmission oscillator (50), a communication element (12, 22) which is connected to the coil (13, 23, 33) and the data processing component (11, 21) of an intelligent device (10, 20, 30) and emits search signals via the coil (13, 23, 33) to receive a response from another intelligent device (10, 20, 30), a measuring device (14, 24) for monitoring a property of the transmission oscillator (50), which outputs a control signal when ascertaining a change in the monitored property, and a switching apparatus (15, 25) which is connected to the measuring device (14, 24) and the communication element (12, 22) and which switches on the communication element (12, 22) when it has received a control signal from the measuring device (14, 24).

Claims

1. A communication apparatus for setting up a data connection between intelligent devices, comprising:

a transmission oscillator for carrying out a contactless data exchange, said oscillator including a coil;

a communication element which is connected to the coil and to a data processing component of an intelligent device and which emits search signals via the coil to receive a response from another intelligent device,

a measuring device for monitoring a property of the transmission oscillator which outputs a control signal when ascertaining a change of the monitored property, the monitored property of the transmission oscillator includes the frequency or impedance of the transmission oscillator in resonance,

and a switching apparatus which is connected to the measuring device and the communication element and which switches on the communication element when it has received the control signal from the measuring device by connecting the communication element to an energy source.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, including an assembly that is switchable to the transmission oscillator via a switch, said assembly causing an increase in the bandwidth of the oscillating circuit.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the assembly is a resistive element.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, including an assembly switchable to the transmission oscillator via a switch, said assembly causing a change in the resonant frequency of the transmission oscillator.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the assembly is arranged to enable a reduction in the resonant frequency.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the assembly comprises a capacitor.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring frequency of the measuring device is sweepable over a predetermined frequency domain.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus has a time controller for cyclically switching the measuring device on and off.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the time controller keeps the on state of the measuring device shorter than the off state.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the measuring device stores a measuring value obtained during a cyclical on phase.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the measuring device emits a control signal to the switching apparatus when a measuring value deviates from the average of the measuring values stored with the previous on phases.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, when the intelligent device is switched on, the communication element is initially on and the measuring device off.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device has a first oscillator device coupled at least temporarily with the coil, for producing a first oscillation signal, and a second oscillator device for producing a second oscillation signal.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the measuring device has circuit components for producing the control signal for the switching apparatus on the basis of a phase relation between the first and second oscillation signals or signals derived therefrom.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, including an assembly switchable to the transmission oscillator via a switch, said assembly causing a change in the resonant frequency of the transmission oscillator, when the measuring device has ascertained a change of the monitored property and outputted the control signal.

15. A method for switching on a communication element configured to use a coil, which is part of a transmission oscillator, for automatically setting up a data connection with an intelligent device likewise having a communication element and a coil, comprising the following steps:

monitoring a property of the transmission oscillator by means of a measuring device, wherein the property of the transmission oscillator includes the frequency or impedance of the transmission oscillator in resonance,

producing a control signal upon the occurrence of a change in the monitored property,

switching on the communication element by a switching apparatus in response to the control signal by connecting the communication element to an energy source.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the measuring frequency of the measuring unit is swept over a given frequency domain during the monitoring of the property.