Communications system and communications apparatus

• US 8,598,985 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/112,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10, 340/10.3, 340/572.1, 340/572.7
• 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 7/10198 setting parameters for the interrogator, e.g. programming parameters and operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A communications system configured to execute data transmission between a transponder having no radio wave generating source thereof and a reader/writer is provided. The communications system includes, a service permission level notifier configured to tell a service permission level for associated with a received signal level for permitting service acceptance from the reader/writer to the transponder, and an access controller configured to determine in the transponder whether the received signal level from the reader/writer is at the notified service permission level to determine accessibility to the transponder from the reader/writer.

Claims

1. A communications system configured to execute data transmission between a transponder having no radio wave generating source thereof and a reader/writer, the communication system comprising:

a service permission level notifier, included in the reader/writer, configured to transmit to the transponder a measurement of a service permission level of a signal received from the reader/writer by the transponder, the service permission level indicating a signal level required to be received at the transponder for permitting service acceptance by the transponder from the reader/writer, wherein the reader/writer is configured to set the service permission level and provide the service to the transponder;

a measuring unit, included in the transponder, configured to measure a received signal level of the signal received from the reader/writer; and

an access controller configured to determine in the transponder whether the received signal level from the reader/writer is at the service permission level to determine whether the reader/writer can read data associated with the service from the transponder and whether the reader/writer can write data associated with the service to the transponder,

wherein a service entry sequence is provided in which the reader/writer notifies the transponder of a beacon frame at a predetermined time interval and the transponder returns a response frame in response to the beacon frame within a predetermined entry period after transmission of the beacon frame,

the service permission level notifier notifying the transponder of a service permission level through a beacon frame to be transmitted by the reader/writer, and

the access controller determining whether a received signal level of the beacon frame received by the transponder from the reader/writer is at the service permission level to determine whether the reader/writer can read data associated with the service from the transponder and whether the reader/writer can write data associated with the service to the transponder.

2. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is a reflector for transmitting data by a modulated reflected-wave signal by use of absorption and reflection of received radio wave based on an operation of an antenna terminal and the reader/writer is a reflected-wave reader for reading the modulated reflected-wave signal transmitted from the reflector.

3. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is capable of receiving a low strength signal having a signal level lower than the service permission level and interpreting a content of the low strength signal.

4. The communications system according to claim 3, wherein when the transponder receives and interprets the low strength signal having the signal level lower than the server service permission level, the transponder prevents access to the transponder from the reader/writer.

5. The communications system according to claim 3, wherein the transponder is connected to a single antenna.

6. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring unit measures a Receiving Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

7. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the transponder includes a storage unit configured to store the service permission level provided by the reader/writer, and

the access controller determines whether the received signal level from the reader/writer is at the service permission level by comparing the measured received signal level with the service permission level stored in the storage unit.

8. A communications apparatus in a communications system configured to execute data transmission between a transponder having no radio wave generating source thereof and a reader/writer, the communications apparatus operating as the transponder and comprising:

a communicator configured to execute, as the transponder, data transmission and reception with the reader/writer, the data transmission and reception including receiving a measurement of a service permission level of a signal received from the reader/writer, the service permission level indicating a signal level required to be received at the transponder for permitting service acceptance by the transponder from the reader/writer;

a measuring unit configured to measure a received signal level of the signal received from the reader/writer; and

a communications controller configured to control a communications operation performed by the communicator, wherein the communications controller sets the service permission level and determines whether the received signal level from the reader/writer is at the service permission level to determine whether the reader/writer can read data associated with the service from the transponder and whether the reader/writer can write data associated with the service to the transponder,

wherein the communications system uses a service entry sequence in which the reader/writer notifies the transponder of a beacon frame at a predetermined time interval and the transponder returns a response frame in response to the beacon frame within a predetermined entry period after transmission of the beacon frame, and

wherein the communications controller determines whether a received signal level of the beacon frame received by the transponder from the reader/writer is at the service permission level to determine whether the reader/writer can read data associated with the service from the transponder and whether the reader/writer can write data associated with the service to the transponder.

9. The communications apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the communicator has an antenna and a reflector configured to transmit data by a modulated reflected-wave signal by use of absorption and reflection of a received radio wave based on a terminal operation of the antenna.

10. A communications apparatus in a communications system configured to execute data transmission between a transponder having no radio wave generating source thereof and a reader/writer, the communications apparatus operating as the reader/writer, comprising:

a communicator configured to execute, as the reader/writer, data transmission and reception with the transponder; and

a communications controller configured to control a communications operation performed by the communicator, wherein the communications controller provides a service from the reader/writer to the transponder, transmits to the transponder a measurement of a service permission level of a signal received from the reader/writer by the transponder, the service permission level indicating a signal level required to be received at the transponder for permitting service acceptance by the transponder from the reader/writer, and sets the service permission level,

wherein the communications system uses a service entry sequence in which the reader/writer notifies the transponder of a beacon frame at a predetermined time interval and the transponder returns a response frame in response to the beacon frame within a predetermined entry period after transmission of the beacon frame, and

the communications controller transmits the set service permission level to the transponder by putting the service permission level onto the beacon frame.

11. The communications apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the communicator is a reflected-wave reader configured to transmit a non-modulated carrier and read a modulated reflected-wave signal from the reflector.

12. A communications system configured to execute data transmission between a transponder having no radio wave generating source thereof and a reader/writer, the communications system comprising:

service permission level notifying means for transmitting to the transponder a measurement of a service permission level of a signal received from the reader/writer by the transponder, the service permission level indicating a signal level required to be received by the transponder for permitting service acceptance at the transponder from the reader/writer, wherein the reader/writer is configured to set the service permission level and provide the service to the transponder;

measuring means, included in the transponder, for measuring a received signal level of the signal received from the reader/writer; and

access control means for determining in the transponder whether the received signal level from the reader/writer is at the service permission level to determine whether the reader/writer can read data associated with the service from the transponder and whether the reader/writer can write data associated with the service to the transponder,

wherein a service entry sequence is provided in which the reader/writer notifies the transponder of a beacon frame at a predetermined time interval and the transponder returns a response frame in response to the beacon frame within a predetermined entry period after transmission of the beacon frame,

the service permission level notifying means notifying the transponder of a service permission level through a beacon frame to be transmitted by the reader/writer, and

the access control means determining whether a received signal level of the beacon frame received by the transponder from the reader/writer is at the service permission level to determine whether the reader/writer can read data associated with the service from the transponder and whether the reader/writer can write data associated with the service to the transponder.

13. A communications apparatus in a communications system configured to execute data transmission between a transponder having no radio wave generating source thereof and a reader/writer, the communications apparatus operating as the transponder and comprising:

communication means for executing, as the transponder, data transmission and reception with the reader/writer, the data transmission and reception including receiving a measurement of a service permission level of a signal received from the reader/writer by the transponder, the service permission level indicating a signal level required to be received at the transponder for permitting service acceptance by the transponder from the reader/writer;

measuring means for measuring a received signal level of the signal received from the reader/writer; and

communications control means for controlling a communications operation done by the communication means, wherein the communications control means sets the service permission level and determines whether the received signal level from the reader/writer is at the service permission level to determine whether the reader/writer can read data associated with the service from the transponder and whether the reader/writer can write data associated with the service to the transponder,

wherein the communications system uses a service entry sequence in which the reader/writer notifies the transponder of a beacon frame at a predetermined time interval and the transponder returns a response frame in response to the beacon frame within a predetermined entry period after transmission of the beacon frame, and

wherein the communications control means determines whether a received signal level of the beacon frame received by the transponder from the reader/writer is at the service permission level to determine whether the reader/writer can read data associated with the service from the transponder and whether the reader/writer can write data associated with the service to the transponder.

14. A communications apparatus in a communications system to execute data transmission between a transponder having no radio wave generating source thereof and a reader/writer, the communications apparatus operating as the reader/writer and comprising:

communicator means for executing, as the reader/writer, data transmission and reception with the transponder; and

communications control means for controlling a communications operation done by the communicator means, wherein the communications control means provides a service from the reader/writer to the transponder, transmits to the transponder a measurement of a service permission level of a signal received from the reader/writer by the transponder, the service permission level indicating a signal level required to be received at the transponder for permitting service acceptance by the transponder from the reader/writer, and sets the service permission level,

wherein the communications system uses a service entry sequence in which the reader/writer notifies the transponder of a beacon frame at a predetermined time interval and the transponder returns a response frame in response to the beacon frame within a predetermined entry period after transmission of the beacon frame, and

the communications control means transmits the set service permission level to the transponder by putting the service permission level onto the beacon frame.