Power-scavenging receiver to generate a signal to be used to control operational state

• US 8,942,631 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Burr, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/356,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20130023206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/574, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.3, 340/10.1, 340/10.33, 340/10.34, 340/10.42, 340/7.32, 340/7.33
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for initiative communication between first and second wireless communication devices using first and second RFID transceivers.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first electronic device to communicate with a second electronic device, the first device comprising;

a first wireless network transceiver, and

a first RFID transceiver communicatively coupled with the first wireless transceiver, the first RFID transceiver to communicate information with RFID transceiver in the second device to initiate a power-up of the first wireless transceiver and to initiate wireless communication between the first wireless transceiver and a second wireless transceiver that is part of the second device, and the first RFID transceiver to communicate information with the second RFID transceiver indicating a range of the second wireless network transceiver the first RFID transceiver to generate and send a communication to the first wireless transceiver to cause the first wireless transceiver to transition to a low-power state when the first wireless network transceiver is not within range of the second wireless transceiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless network transceivers are to operate according to a wireless communication protocol.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first RFID transceiver includes a power scavenging receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

a memory coupled with the power-scavenging receiver; and

a power-scavenging transmitter coupled with the memory to transmit a value received from the memory in response to a signal received by the power-scavenging receiver.

5. An electronic device, comprising:

a first RFID entity to communicate with a second RFID entity in a second electronic device; and

a first WiFi transceiver to communicate with a second WiFi transceiver associated with the second electronic device, wherein the first and second RFID entities are to communicate information to initiate a power-up of at least one of the first and second WiFi transceivers to initiate communication between the first and second WiFi transceivers, the first and second RFID entities to communicate information indicating a range of the first WiFi transceiver or the second WiFi transceiver, the first RFID entity to generate and send a communication to cause the first WiFi transceiver to transition to a lower power state based on the information indicating that the first WiFi transceiver is not within range of the second WiFi transceiver, or the second RFID entity to generate and send a communication to cause the second WiFi transceiver to transition to a lower power state based on the information indicating that the second WiFi transceiver is not within range of the first WiFi transceiver.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, in which the RFID entities communicate using high frequency inductive coupling.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, in which the RFID entities are to operate in accordance with an ISO 18000-x specification.