Radio frequency induced power reception management for a radio frequency identity (RFID) chip embedded in a mobile communication device

• US 9,396,424 B1
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Loman, Clinton H., Olding, Douglas A., Paczkowski, Lyle W., Steele, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Nhan
• Application Number:
  US14/532,954
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/77, 455/78, 455/79, 455/82, 455418-420, 455/422.1, 455/550.1, 340/10.1
• 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: G06K 19/0727 the arrangement being a circuit facilitating integration of the record carrier with a hand-held device such as a smart phone of PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0802 using antenna selection H04B7/0868 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24

Abstract

A mobile communication device. The mobile communication device comprises a motherboard comprising a communication bus, a cellular radio frequency transceiver connected to the communication bus, a plurality of antennas, at least one of the antennas communicatively coupled to the cellular radio frequency transceiver, and a processor connected to the communication bus. The mobile communication device further comprises a radio frequency identity (RFID) chip connected to the communication bus, wherein the RFID chip comprises a memory, provides wireless read access to the memory, and provides write access to the memory to the communication bus. The mobile communication device further comprises an antenna switch to selectably couple at least one of the antennas to the RFID chip and an application that selects the antenna switch to couple one of the antennas to the RFID chip based on a state of the mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a motherboard comprising a communication bus;

a cellular radio frequency transceiver connected to the communication bus of the motherboard;

a plurality of antennas, at least one of the antennas communicatively coupled to the cellular radio frequency transceiver;

a processor connected to the communication bus of the motherboard;

a radio frequency identity (RFID) chip connected to the communication bus of the motherboard, wherein the RFID chip comprises a memory, provides wireless read access to the memory, and provides write access to the memory to the communication bus of the motherboard;

an antenna switch to selectably couple at least one of the antennas to the RFID chip; and

an application that selects the antenna switch to couple one of the antennas to the RFID chip based on a state of the mobile communication device, wherein the antenna switch selectably couples a first one of the antennas to the RFID chip to provide power induced in the antenna by a radio frequency field radiated outside of the mobile communication device and couples a second one of the antennas to the RFID chip to provide wireless read access to the memory.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the cellular radio frequency transceiver is operable to communicate wirelessly according to one of a code division multiple access (CDMA) protocol, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) protocol, a worldwide microwave access (WiMAX) protocol, or a long term evolution (LTE) protocol.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the application selects the antenna switch to couple one of the antennas to the RFID chip based on at least a power on state and a power off state of the mobile communication device.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the application selects the antenna switch to couple one of the antennas to the RFID chip based on at least an activated state and an inactivated state of the mobile communication device.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a power dissipation filter and wherein the switch further selectively couples the coupled antenna to the power dissipation filter when an induced power level delivered to the RFID chip exceeds a pre-defined threshold.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the memory of the RFID chip comprises a static portion which is disabled for writing and a dynamic portion that is enabled for writing.

7. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a motherboard comprising a communication bus;

a cellular radio frequency transceiver connected to the communication bus of the motherboard;

a plurality of antennas, at least one of the antennas communicatively coupled to the cellular radio frequency transceiver;

a processor connected to the communication bus of the motherboard;

a radio frequency identity (RFID) chip connected to the communication bus of the motherboard, wherein the RFID chip comprises a memory that stores data about an activation state of the mobile communication device, provides wireless read access to the memory, and provides write access to the memory to the communication bus of the motherboard;

an antenna switch to selectably couple at least one of the antennas to the RFID chip; and

an application that selects the antenna switch to couple one of the antennas to the RFID chip based on the activation state of the mobile communication device stored in the memory and based in part on the mobile communication device being engaged in voice communication via the cellular radio frequency transceiver, wherein the application selects the antenna switch to couple a first one of the antennas to the RFID chip based on the mobile communication device being engaged in voice communication via the cellular radio frequency transceiver and selects the antenna switch to couple a second one of the antennas to the RFID chip based on the mobile communication device being engaged in data communication via the cellular radio frequency transceiver.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein the memory of the RFID chip comprises a static portion which is disabled for writing and a dynamic portion that is enabled for writing, wherein the activation state of the mobile communication device is stored in the dynamic portion, and wherein the activation state of the mobile communication device is initially in the inactivated state when the mobile communication device is shipped from an original equipment manufacturer.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein responsive to the activation state of the mobile communication device stored in the memory being activated, the application does not select to couple one of the plurality of antennas to the RFID chip that is an antenna that delivers a high amount of induced power.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a media player, a wearable computer, or a headset computer.

11. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a motherboard comprising a communication bus;

a cellular radio frequency transceiver connected to the communication bus of the motherboard;

a plurality of antennas, at least one of the antennas communicatively coupled to the cellular radio frequency transceiver;

a processor connected to the communication bus of the motherboard;

a radio frequency identity (RFID) chip connected to the communication bus of the motherboard, wherein the RFID chip comprises a memory, provides wireless read access to the memory, and provides write access to the memory to the communication bus of the motherboard;

a power dissipation filter;

an antenna switch to selectably couple one of the antennas to the RFID chip and to selectably couple the antenna to the power dissipation filter; and

an application that selects the antenna switch to couple the antenna to the RFID chip based on a state of the mobile communication device and that selects the antenna switch to couple the antenna to the power dissipation filter when an induced power level delivered to the RFID chip exceeds a pre-defined threshold.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the power dissipation filter dissipates power by flowing a current through a resistor.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the power dissipation filter comprises a capacitor in parallel with the resistor.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the power dissipation filter dissipates power by flowing a current to a battery of the mobile communication device.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 11, further comprising a rectifier that converts alternating current to direct current between the selected antenna and the power dissipation filter.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein when the mobile communication device is turned on and powered by a battery, the application selects the antenna switch to couple the antenna to the power dissipation filter.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the mobile communication device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a media player, a wearable computer, and a headset computer.