Wireless communication terminal

• US 9,154,176 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US13/666,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20130115898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/575.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

This wireless communication terminal can reduce power consumption required for channel change, and a channel information output unit detects communication channel information included in information represented by a signal received through an antenna and outputs the communication channel information. A wireless communication unit has a first operation mode and a second operation mode having relatively higher operational power consumption than the first operation mode, and transmits communication data to an external terminal through the antenna using a communication channel represented by the communication channel information output by the channel information output unit when the wireless communication module operates in the second operation mode.

Claims

1. A wireless communication terminal comprising:

a wireless communication antenna;

a channel information output unit which detects communication channel information that is included in information in a communication packet received through the wireless communication antenna and that represents the communication channel used in a wireless communication, and which outputs the communication channel information; and

a wireless communication module which has a first operation mode and a second operation mode having relatively higher operational power consumption than the first operation mode, and transmits communication data to an external terminal through the wireless communication antenna using a communication channel represented by the communication channel information output by the channel information output unit when the wireless communication module operates in the second operation mode, wherein

when the wireless communication module operates in the first operation mode if the wireless communication module receives communication start instruction information that start to transmit the communication data, the wireless communication module switches to the second operation mode;

the wireless communication module is connected to the wireless communication antenna without the channel information output unit;

the channel information output unit is connected to the wireless communication antenna without the wireless communication module; and

the channel information output unit inputs the communication packet from the wireless communication antenna without the wireless communication module.

2. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 1,

wherein the channel information output unit comprises a demodulation unit which demodulates the information from the signal, and detects the communication channel information from the information demodulated by the demodulation unit.

3. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 2,

wherein the channel information output unit further comprises a holding unit which holds the communication channel information, and outputs the communication channel information when the wireless communication module switches to the second operation mode and operates.

4. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 2,

wherein the channel information output unit outputs the communication channel information when the demodulation unit demodulates the information from the signal and the channel information output unit detects the communication channel information from the information demodulated by the demodulation unit.

5. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 2, further comprising:

a rectification unit which rectifies the signal,

wherein the demodulation unit operates with electric power rectified by the rectification unit.

6. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 5,

wherein the channel information output unit outputs the communication channel information when a value of the electric power rectified by the rectification unit becomes a predetermined value or more.

7. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first power switch unit which switches whether or not to supply the electric power rectified by the rectification unit to the demodulation unit.

8. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 7,

wherein the first power switch unit performs start and stop of power supply to the demodulation unit at predetermined intervals.

9. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 7,

wherein the first power switch unit stops power supply to the demodulation unit when the channel information output unit detects the communication channel information.

10. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 5,

wherein the wireless communication module operates with the electric power rectified by the rectification unit.

11. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 10, further comprising:

a second power switch unit which switches whether or not to supply the electric power rectified by the rectification unit to the wireless communication module.

12. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 11,

wherein the second power switch unit starts power supply to the wireless communication module when the channel information output unit detects the communication channel information.

13. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 12,

wherein the second power switch unit stops power supply to the wireless communication module when communication by the wireless communication module is finished.

14. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless communication terminal is a terminal installed in a body.

15. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless communication terminal is a terminal installed outside a body.