Near field communication apparatus

• US 9,401,768 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Piece Future Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Inha, Kai, Backman, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Etesam, Amir
• Application Number:
  US14/344,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20140369170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 381/331, 381/406, 381/400
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 11/06 Telephone receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

An apparatus comprising: a transducer suitable for generating an acoustic sound pressure wave being configured to: magnetically couple the apparatus to a further apparatus transducer for transferring data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a transducer comprising a first voice coil configured to generate an acoustic sound wave at least utilizing the first voice coil for generating acoustic sound information via the acoustic sound wave, the transducer further configured to generate and detect a non-acoustic data transmitting magnetic field at least based on utilizing the first voice coil, the non-acoustic data transmitting magnetic field representing non-acoustic information capable of magnetically coupling the apparatus to a further apparatus comprising a further apparatus transducer, wherein the further apparatus transducer comprises a second coil configured to generate acoustic sound information at least utilizing the second coil and to detect at least based on utilizing the second coil the non-acoustic information, wherein the apparatus is magnetically coupled to the further apparatus to transfer data via the non-acoustic information, wherein the acoustic sound information and the non-acoustic information are different.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises:

a speaker diaphragm coupled to the first voice coil suitable for generating the acoustic sound wave.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a comparator configured to detect data within the magnetic field.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the magnetic field data detector comprises at least one of:

an amplifier coupled to first voice coil and configured to amplify the first voice coil output; and

a demodulator coupled to the amplifier and configured to output the data from the first voice coil output.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an amplifier configured to be selectively coupled to the transducer.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the amplifier is configured to drive the transducer coil to magnetically couple the apparatus to a further apparatus transducer for transferring data.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the amplifier is configured to drive the transducer coil to generate the acoustic sound wave.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the amplifier is configured with a bandwidth from 20 Hz to 10 MHz.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the amplifier comprises a first amplifier configured to drive the transducer coil to magnetically couple the apparatus to the further apparatus transducer to transfer data;

and a second amplifier configured to drive the transducer coil to generate the acoustic sound wave.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first amplifier is configured with a bandwidth from 20 kHz to 10 MHz, and the second amplifier is configured with a bandwidth from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a modulator coupled to the amplifier, the modulator configured to transfer data.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the modulator comprises at least one of:

a direct coding modulator;

a frequency modulator;

a time-division modulator;

a phase modulator;

an error detection modulator; and

an error correction modulator.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises at least one of:

an earpiece transducer;

an integrated hands free transducer;

a headset transducer; and

an hearing aid transducer.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured to adaptively couple the apparatus to the further apparatus transducer when the magnetic field is detected.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the adaptive coupling comprises at least one of:

adaptive data rate coupling;

adaptive modulation coupling; and

adaptive frequency coupling.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises:

a static magnet; and

wherein the first voice coil is biased at a first distance from the static magnet when the transducer is suitable for generating the acoustic sound wave, and biased at a second distance greater than the first distance from the static magnet when configured to magnetically couple the apparatus to the further apparatus transducer.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a biasing amplifier coupled to the transducer, wherein the biasing amplifier is configured to provide a first current to bias the first voice coil at the first distance from the static magnet, and a second current to bias the first voice coil at the second distance.

18. A method comprising providing a transducer comprising a first voice coil configured to generate an acoustic sound wave at least utilizing the first voice coil for generating acoustic sound information via the acoustic sound wave, the transducer further configured to generate and detect a non-acoustic data transmitting magnetic field at least based on utilizing the first voice coil, the non-acoustic data transmitting magnetic field representing non-acoustic information capable of magnetically coupling the apparatus to a further apparatus comprising a further apparatus transducer wherein the further apparatus transducer comprises a second coil configured to generate acoustic sound information at least utilizing the second coil and to detect at least based on utilizing the second coil the non-acoustic information, wherein the apparatus is magnetically coupled to the further apparatus to transfer data via the non-acoustic information, wherein the acoustic sound information and the non-acoustic information are different.