Wireless communication device, power transmitter, and IC card device

• US 8,989,659 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Akita, Koji, Ito, Takayoshi, Suzuki, Masashi, Uchida, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US13/608,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20130137369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/572
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A wireless communication device has a power receiving wireless communication unit configured to receive power and perform wireless communication utilizing the power, a storage unit configured to store a portion of the power, and a first wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication faster and more efficiently than the power receiving wireless communication unit by utilizing the power stored in the storage unit, when amount of the power stored in the storage unit exceeds a first reference level. The power receiving wireless communication unit includes a power receiver configured to receive power and supply a portion of the power to the storage unit, and a second wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication slower and less efficiently than the first wireless communication unit by utilizing the power received by the power receiver.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a power receiving wireless communicator to receive power and perform wireless communication utilizing the power;

a storage to store a portion of the power received by the power receiving wireless communicator;

a first wireless communicator to perform wireless communication faster and more efficiently than the power receiving wireless communicator by utilizing the power stored in the storage, when an amount of the power stored in the storage unit exceeds a first reference level; and

a controller to generate a first trigger signal indicating that the amount of the power stored in the storage has exceeded the first reference level;

wherein the power receiving wireless communicator includes;

a power receiver to receive the power and supply the portion of the power to the storage; and

a second wireless communicator to perform wireless communication by utilizing the power received by the power receiver;

wherein the second wireless communicator transmits an RF signal including the first trigger signal; and

wherein the first wireless communicator starts wireless communication when the first trigger signal is supplied from the controller.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first coil connected to the power receiver and capable of receiving an RF signal transmitted from a power transmitter through electromagnetic induction,

wherein the second wireless communicator receives the RF signal transmitted from the power transmitter through the first coil, and then generates a power modulated signal modulating the RF signal by utilizing a power of the RF signal and transmits the power modulated signal to the power transmitter through the first coil, and

the storage stores the portion of the power of the RF signal.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first antenna connected to the first wireless communicator in order to receive an RF signal transmitted from a power transmitter and to transmit an RF signal to the power transmitter;

a first coil connected to the power receiver and capable of receiving an RF signal transmitted from the power transmitter through electromagnetic induction; and

a second antenna connected to the second wireless communicator in order to receive an RF signal transmitted from the power transmitter and to transmit an RF signal to the power transmitter.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the controller generates a second trigger signal when the amount of the power stored in the storage has fallen below a second reference level,

the second wireless communicator transmits an RF signal including the second trigger signal generated by the controller, and

the first wireless communicator stops the fast and efficient wireless communication when the second trigger signal is supplied from the controller.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the second wireless communicator is capable of continuously performing wireless communication while the first communicator stops the fast and efficient wireless communication.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication information retainer to retain at least one type of information selected from information for identifying the first wireless communicator, information concerning communication performance of the first wireless communicator, and standard correspondence information of the first wireless communicator,

wherein the first wireless communicator performs a connection process for connecting itself to a power transmitter, referring to the information retained by the communication information retainer, and wirelessly communicates with the power transmitter after the connection process is completed.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the second wireless communicator performs a near field communication.

8. A power transmitter device to transmit power to a wireless communication device comprising a power receiving wireless communicator to receive power and perform wireless communication by using the power, a storage to store a portion of the power received by the power receiving wireless communicator, a first wireless communicator to perform wireless communication faster and more efficiently than the power receiving wireless communicator, a second wireless communicator to perform wireless communication slower and less efficiently than the first wireless communicator, and a controller to generate a first trigger signal indicating that an amount of the power stored in the storage unit has exceeded the first reference level, comprising:

a power transmitting wireless communicator to transmit power to the power receiving wireless communicator in the wireless communication device of claim 1 to wirelessly communicate with the power receiving wireless communicator; and

a third wireless communicator to perform fast and efficient wireless communication with the first wireless communicator when the power transmitting wireless communicator receives the first trigger signal,

wherein the power transmitting wireless communicator includes;

a power transmitter to wirelessly transmit power to the power receiver; and

a fourth wireless communicator to receive the first trigger signal while wirelessly communicating with the second wireless communicator slower and less efficiently than the third wireless communicator.

9. The power transmitter device of claim 8, further comprising:

a second coil connected to the power transmitter and capable of transmitting power through electromagnetic induction,

wherein the fourth wireless unit communicator wirelessly communicates with the second wireless communicator through the second coil.

10. The power transmitter device of claim 8, further comprising:

a third antenna connected to the third wireless communicator in order to receive an RF signal transmitted from the first wireless communicator and to transmit an RF signal to the first wireless communicator;

a second coil connected to the power transmitter and capable of transmitting power through electromagnetic induction; and

a fourth antenna connected to the fourth wireless communicator in order to receive an RF signal transmitted from the second wireless communicator and to transmit an RF signal to the second wireless communicator.

11. The power transmitter device of claim 8, wherein the fourth wireless communicator performs a near field communication with the second wireless communicator.

12. An IC card device, comprising:

at least one IC chip comprising;

a power receiving wireless communicator to perform wireless communication utilizing power received thereby;

a storage unit configured to store a portion of the power received by the power receiving wireless communicator; and

a first wireless communicator to perform wireless communication faster and more efficiently than the power receiving wireless communicator by utilizing the power stored in the storage, when an amount of the power stored in the storage exceeds a first reference level; and

a controller to generate a first trigger signal indicating that the amount of the power stored in the storage has exceeded the first reference level;

a first coil connected to the power receiving wireless communicator; and

a first antenna connected to the first wireless unit communicator,

wherein the power receiving wireless communicator includes;

a power receiver to receive power and supply the portion of the power to the storage; and

a second wireless communicator to perform wireless communication by utilizing the power received by the power receiver;

wherein the second wireless communicator transmits an RF signal including the first trigger signal; and

wherein the first wireless communicator starts wireless communication when the first trigger signal is supplied from the controller.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a first coil connected to the power receiver and capable of receiving an RF signal transmitted from a power transmitter through electromagnetic induction,

wherein the second wireless communicator receives the RF signal transmitted from the power transmitter through the first coil, and then generates a power modulated signal modulating the RF signal by utilizing a power of the RF signal and transmits the power modulated signal to the power transmitter through the first coil, and

the storage stores the portion of the power of the RF signal.

14. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a first antenna connected to the first wireless communicator in order to receive an RF signal transmitted from a power transmitter and to transmit an RF signal to the power transmitter;

a first coil connected to the power receiver and capable of receiving an RF signal transmitted from the power transmitter through electromagnetic induction; and

a second antenna connected to the second wireless communicator in order to receive an RF signal transmitted from the power transmitter and to transmit an RF signal to the power transmitter.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein:

the controller generates a second trigger signal when the amount of the power stored in the storage has fallen below a second reference level,

the second wireless communicator transmits an RF signal including the second trigger signal generated by the controller, and

the first wireless communicator stops the fast and efficient wireless communication when the second trigger signal is supplied from the controller.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the second wireless communicator is capable of continuously performing wireless communication while the first communicator stops the fast and efficient wireless communication.

17. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a communication information retainer to retain at least one type of information selected from information for identifying the first wireless communicator, information concerning communication performance of the first wireless communicator, and standard correspondence information of the first wireless communicator,

wherein the first wireless communicator performs a connection process for connecting itself to a power transmitter, referring to the information retained by the communication information retainer, and wirelessly communicates with the power transmitter after the connection process is completed.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the second wireless communicator performs a near field communication.

19. A wireless communication method, comprising:

receiving power by a power receiving wireless communicator to perform wireless communication utilizing the power;

storing a portion of the power received by the power receiving wireless communicator into a storage;

performing, by a first wireless communicator, wireless communication faster and more efficiently than the power receiving wireless communicator by utilizing the power stored in the storage, when amount of the power stored in the storage exceeds a first reference level; and

generating a first trigger signal showing that the amount of the power stored in the storage has exceeded the first reference level;

wherein the power receiving wireless communicator performs, by a second wireless communicator, wireless communication by utilizing the received power;

wherein the second wireless communicator transmits an RF signal including the first trigger signal; and

wherein the first wireless communicator starts wireless communication when the first trigger signal is supplied thereto.