Near field communication (NFC) device as an initiator to high data rate communication

• US 9,301,337 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Europe Ltd (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Symons, Peter Robert, Brown, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivero, Alejandro
• Application Number:
  US11/918,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,640 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A Near Field Communication (NFC) device has a short range wireless radio frequency communicator capable of seeking to initiate short range communication by transmitting an RF signal and of responding to such initiation so that communication between two short range wireless radio frequency communicators occurs when in range. The NFC device also has a high data rate data communicator for communicating directly with another high data rate data communicator to receive and transmit data when the short range wireless radio frequency communicator has communicated with another in-range short range wireless radio frequency communicator.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first communicator configured to initiate communication with a first communication device to enable communication between the first communicator and the first communication device in accordance with a first communication protocol and to derive a power supply from a communication signal received from the first communication device;

a second communicator configured to directly receive a first operating power from the power supply derived by the first communicator and to wirelessly communicate with a second communication device in accordance with a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol using only the received first operating power, the second communication protocol having a higher data rate than the first communication protocol; and

a first controller configured to enable the second communicator to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device upon the first communicator receiving the communication signal;

wherein the apparatus is further configured to mechanically couple to a second apparatus, and

wherein the first communicator is further configured to wirelessly provide a second operating power from the power supply to the second apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communicator comprises:

a first antenna configured to couple inductively to a second antenna of the first communication device via a magnetic field to enable the communication.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communicator is configured to:

couple inductively with the first communication device to enable receipt of data from the first communication device and to transmit data to the first communication device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communicator comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, an RFID tag, or a near field communication (NFC) communicator.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communicator comprises:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader;

or

a near field communication (NFC) reader configured to emulate an RFID reader, and

wherein the first communication device comprises;

an RFID tag or an NFC tag.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communicator comprises:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag;

or

a near field communication (NFC) tag configured to emulate a tag; and

wherein the first communication device comprises;

an RFID reader or an NFC reader.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communicator is configured to communicate with the first communication device to enable initiation of data communication by the second communicator.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communicator is configured to carry out an initialisation procedure comprising:

an identification;

a verification;

an authorization;

or

a validation process before data communication by the second communicator.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communicator is configured to carry out an initialisation procedure comprising:

an identification;

a verification;

an authorization;

or

a validation process.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the initialisation procedure comprises:

a payment verification;

or

a validation process.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communicator is configured to communicate using:

a wireless communication;

an optical communication;

or

a wired communication.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communicator is configured to communicate using:

a wireless ultra wide band communications method;

a wireless universal serial bus (USB) communications method;

a Bluetooth communications method;

an infrared communications method;

a contact based USB communications method;

flash memory card technology;

or

a wired or wireless high-speed data xMax communications method.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communicator is configured to communicate at a data rate that at its highest is of the order of hundreds of Mega bits per second (Mbps);

or

the first communicator is configured to communicate at a data rate in the range of from 100 kilo bits per second (kbps) to 1 Mbps.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communicator and the second communicator are provided in a common housing.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communicator is configured to communicate data comprising:

audio data;

text data;

video data;

image data;

graphics data;

authorisation data;

verification data;

identification data;

executable code;

a computer program, a sub-routine, upgrade, patch for a computer program;

credit card, banking details or other financial data;

website details;

upgrade information;

or

compressed and/or encrypted versions of any of the preceding types of data.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a standalone apparatus.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is provided within or associated with another apparatus.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communicator is configured to communicate using a 13.56 Mega Hertz (MHz) RF signal.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is implemented as part of:

a memory card;

a personal communications device;

a mobile telephone;

a personal digital assistant (PDA);

an advertising device;

or

a poster or other written/advertising media.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first controller is further configured to control operations of the first communicator, and further comprising:

a second controller, separate from the first controller, configured to control operations of the second communicator, the second controller being controlled by the first controller.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first controller is configured to enable the second communicator to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device only upon the first communicator receiving the communication signal.

22. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first controller is further configured to enable the second communicator to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device after completion of the initialisation procedure.

23. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first controller is further configured to enable the second communicator to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device after completion of the initialisation procedure.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first controller is further configured to receive display data from the second communicator, and

further comprising:

a bistable display configured to display an image corresponding to the display data and to retain the image when the first communicator is configured to no longer supply the power supply.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing having a recess, the recess being configured to mechanically couple to the second apparatus.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second apparatus comprises:

a memory configured to be accessed by the first communicator.

27. An apparatus, comprising;

a first communicator configured to communicate wirelessly with a first communication device to enable communication between the first communicator and the first communication device in accordance with a first communication protocol, and to derive a power supply from a communication signal received from the first communication device;

a second communicator configured to directly receive a first operating power from the power supply derived by the first communicator and to wirelessly communicate with a second communication device to receive and transmit data using only the received first operating power, in accordance with a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, while the first communicator is receiving the communication signal from the first communication device; and

a first controller configured to enable the second communicator to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device upon the first communicator receiving the communication signal,

wherein the apparatus is further configured to mechanically couple to a second apparatus, and

wherein the first communicator is further configured to wirelessly provide a second operating power from the power supply to the second apparatus.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the first controller is further configured to control operations of the first communicator, and further comprising:

a second controller, separate from the first controller, configured to control operations of the second communicator, the second controller being controlled by the first controller.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the first controller is configured to enable the second communicator to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device only upon the first communicator receiving the communication signal.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

a first communicator configured to initiate communication with a first communication device to enable communication between the first communicator and the first communication device in accordance with a first communication protocol and to derive a power supply from a communication signal received from the first communication device;

a second communicator configured to directly receive a first operating power from the power supply derived by the first communicator, to wirelessly communicate with a second communication device in accordance with a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol using only the received first operating, power, and to receive and transmit data when the first communicator is within range of the first communication device using only the received first operating power; and

a first controller configured to enable the second communicator to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device upon the first communicator receiving the communication signal,

wherein the apparatus is further configured to mechanically couple to a second apparatus, and

wherein the first communicator is further configured to wirelessly provide a second operating power from the power supply to the second apparatus.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the first controller is further configured to control operations of the first communicator, and further comprising:

a second controller, separate from the first controller, configured to control operations of the second communicator, the second controller being controlled by the first controller.

32. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the first controller is configured to enable the second communicator to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device only upon the first communicator receiving the communication signal.

33. An apparatus, comprising:

a first near field communication (NFC) communicator configured to couple inductively with a second NFC communicator via a magnetic field generated by the first NFC communicator or the second NFC communicator to enable data communication between the first NFC communicator and the second NFC communicator in accordance with a first communication protocol, and to derive a power supply from a communication signal received from the second NFC communicator at a first data communication rate;

a communication device configured to directly receive a first operating power from the power supply derived by the first NFC communicator and to wirelessly communicate with a second communication device in accordance with a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol using only the received first operating power while the first NFC communicator is receiving the communication signal from the second NFC communicator; and

a first controller configured to enable the communication device to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device upon the first NFC communicator receiving the communication signal,

wherein the apparatus is further configured to mechanically couple to a second apparatus, and

wherein the first NFC communicator is further configured to wirelessly provide a second operating power from the power supply to the second apparatus.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the first controller is further configured to control operations of the first NFC communicator, and further comprising:

a second controller, separate from the first controller, configured to control operations of the communication device, the second controller being controlled by the first controller.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the first controller is configured to enable the communication device to wirelessly communicate with the second communication device only upon the first NFC communicator receiving the communication signal.