Apparatus for low power wireless communication

• US 9,230,427 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Dong Wook
• Primary Examiner(s): Obiniyi, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/413,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/12 Power saving techniques of remote control or controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus for starting an operation according to an electric wave received from a portable terminal is provided. The apparatus includes a wireless communication module for transmitting data to the portable terminal, an RFID tag for turning-on a switch using the electric wave received from the portable terminal, the switch supplying power of a battery to a sensor, the wireless communication module and a control unit when the switch is turned-on, and for cutting-off the power supply of the battery to the sensor, the wireless communication module and the control unit when the switch is turned-off, and the control unit for driving the sensor when the power from the battery is supplied to the control unit, for controlling the wireless communication module to transmit a physical amount from the sensor to the portable terminal and for turning off the switch when the control unit receives the physical amount.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus for starting an operation according to an electric wave received from a portable terminal, the wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a sensor configured to measure a physical amount;

a wireless communication module configured to transmit data to the portable terminal;

a switch;

a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag configured to turn on the switch using the electric wave received from the portable terminal; and

a control unit electronically connected to the sensor, the wireless communication module, the RFID tag and the switch,

wherein power of the battery is supplied to the sensor, the wireless communication module and the control unit when the switch is turned on,

wherein the supply of the power of the battery to the sensor, the wireless communication module and the control unit is cut off when the switch is turned off, and

wherein the control unit is configured to;

when the switch is turned on, drive the sensor to measure a physical amount, store the physical amount received from the sensor and turn off the switch, and

when the switch is turned on after storing the received physical amount, control the wireless communication module to transmit the stored physical amount to the portable terminal and turn off the switch.

2. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a counter configured to turn on the switch at preset times, wherein the control unit comprises a memory for storing the received physical amount.

3. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 2,

wherein, when the switch is turned on by the counter, the sensor is configured to measure a physical amount and the control unit is configured to store a physical amount received from the sensor in the memory, and

wherein, when the switch is turned on the RFID tag, the wireless communication module is configured to transmit a physical amount stored in the memory to the portable terminal.

4. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication module is configured to communicate with the portable terminal using at least one of Bluetooth technology, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and Ultra-WideBand (UWB) technology.

5. A wireless communication apparatus for starting an operation according to an electric wave received from a portable terminal, the wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a sensor configured to measure a physical amount;

a switch;

a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag configured to turn on the switch using the electric wave received from the portable terminal; and

a control unit electronically connected to the sensor, the switch and the RFID tag,

wherein power of the battery is supplied to the sensor and the control unit when the switch is turned on,

wherein the supply of the power of the battery to the sensor and the control unit is cut off when the switch is turned off; and

wherein the control unit is configured to;

when the switch is turned on, drive the sensor to measure a physical amount, store the physical amount received from the sensor and turn off the switch, and

when the switch is turned on after storing the received physical amount, control to transmit the stored physical amount to the portable terminal and turn off the switch.

6. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the control unit is further configured to:

store the received physical amount in a tag memory of the RFID tag, and

turn off the switch, and

wherein the RFID tag is further configured to transmit the physical amount stored in the tag memory to the portable terminal using energy of a data request signal received from the portable terminal.

7. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a wireless communication module configured to:

receive the power of the battery through the switch, and

transmit the received physical amount to the portable terminal when the wireless communication module receives a data transmission command signal from the control unit.

8. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the control unit is further configured to:

store the received physical amount in the tag memory of the RFID tag when a size of the received physical amount is less than a threshold value, and

turn off the switch, and

wherein the control unit is further configured to;

control the wireless communication module to transmit the received physical amount to the portable terminal when the size of the received physical amount is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and

turn off the switch.

9. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication module is configured to communicate with the portable terminal using at least one of Bluetooth technology, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and Ultra-WideBand (UWB) technology.

10. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a wireless communication module configured to;

receive the power of the battery through the switch, and

transmit the received physical amount to the portable terminal when the wireless communication module receives a data transmission command signal from the control unit; and

a counter configured to turn on the switch at preset times,

wherein, when the switch is turned on by the counter, the sensor is further configured to measure the physical amount and the control unit is further configured to store the physical amount received from the sensor in the memory, and

wherein, when the switch is turned on by the RFID tag, the wireless communication module is further configured to transmit the physical amount stored in the memory to the portable terminal.