Power harvesting and use in a near field communications (NFC) device

• US 9,473,214 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Awad, Mohamed
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US14/697,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 705/39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• 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 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatus for harvesting and using power in a near field communications mode, includes a host device with operating components. A first near field communication (NFC) device is contained in the host device and is configured to be selectively coupled to one of the operating components. The first NFC device harvests energy from a second NFC device and converts the harvested energy to electrical power. The first NFC device receives information from the second NFC device and power on the operating component as a function of the information received from the second NFC device. The first NFC device transfers data to or from the operating component when the operating component is powered on. The first NFC device powers off the operating component when the transfer of data between the first NFC device and the operating component has been completed.

Claims

1. A host device, comprising:

a memory storing data;

a processor; and

a first near field communication (NFC) device configured to convert energy received from a second NFC device into electrical power,

wherein the first NFC device is configured to obtain the data from the memory while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy received from the second NFC device to power the memory, and

wherein the first NFC device is configured to, after powering off the memory, transfer the data to the processor to process the data while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy received from the second NFC device to power the processor.

2. The host device of claim 1, wherein the host device is a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet computing device.

3. The host device of claim 1, wherein the second NFC device is associated with an access device for a mode of transportation.

4. The host device of claim 1, wherein the first NFC device is further configured to receive the processed data from the processor while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy received from the second NFC device to power the processor.

5. The host device of claim 4, wherein the first NFC device is further configured to, after powering off the processor, transfer the processed data to the memory for storage while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy received from the second NFC device to power the memory.

6. The host device of claim 5, wherein the first NFC device is further configured to transfer the data received from the memory to the second NFC device after transferring the processed data to the memory for storage.

7. The host device of claim 1, wherein the first NFC device is further configured to use the electrical power converted from the energy received from the second NFC device to power the memory for a predetermined period of time to obtain the data from the memory.

8. The host device of claim 1, wherein the data is credit data.

9. A host device, comprising:

a memory storing data;

a processor; and

a first near field communication (NFC) device configured to convert energy received from a second NFC device into electrical power,

wherein the first NFC device is configured to transfer the data from the memory to the processor to process the data while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy received from the second NFC device to power the memory and the processor,

wherein the first NFC device is configured to power off the memory after transferring the data to the processor to process the data, and

wherein the first NFC device is configured to power off the processor after receiving the processed data from the processor.

10. The host device of claim 9, wherein the host device is a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet computing device.

11. The host device of claim 9, wherein the second NFC device is associated with an access device for a mode of transportation.

12. The host device of claim 9, wherein the first NFC device is further configured to transfer the processed data received from the processor to the memory for storage while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy received from the second NFC device to power the memory.

13. The host device of claim 12, wherein the first NFC device is further configured to transfer the data received from the memory to the second NFC device after transferring the processed data to the memory for storage.

14. A method, comprising:

converting energy wirelessly received at a first near field communication (NFC) device from a second NFC device into electrical power;

obtaining, by the first NFC device, data from a memory while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy wirelessly received from the second NFC device to power the memory; and

after powering off the memory, transferring the data from the first NFC device to a processor to process the data while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy wirelessly received from the second NFC device to power the processor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving the processed data at the first NFC device from the processor while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy wirelessly received from the second NFC device to power the processor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

after powering off the processor, transferring the processed data from the first NFC device to the memory for storage while the first NFC device uses the electrical power converted from the energy wirelessly received from the second NFC device to power the memory.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transferring the data from the first NFC device to the second NFC device after transferring the processed data from the first NFC device to the memory for storage.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

using the electrical power converted from the energy wirelessly received from the second NFC device to power the memory for a predetermined period of time to obtain, by the first NFC device, the data from the memory.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

using the electrical power converted from the energy wirelessly received from the second NFC device to power on the processor for a predetermined period of time to transfer the data from the first NFC device to the processor to process the data.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first NFC device is implemented in a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet computing device.