Method and apparatus for battery operated radio tags

• US 9,633,241 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Saari, Jarmo, Toivanen, Timo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Leon-Viet
• Application Number:
  US14/762,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10207 parameter settings related to power consumption of the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10376 the interrogation device being adapted for being moveable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10396 the interrogation device being wearable, e.g. as a glove, bracelet, or ring wearable aerials in general H01Q1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus, method and computer program are disclosed in which a radio unit (110) of a mobile station (100) is caused to periodically communicate with a radio tag (200) with a first period between subsequent communications and to perform pairing with the radio tag (200). Storing of pairing information relating to the paired radio tag (200) is caused. A first profile associated with the mobile station (100) is maintained. A second profile associated with the paired radio tag (200) is maintained. Adapting of the first period is performed based on at least one of: the first profile and the second profile.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, where the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least;

communicate through a radio unit of a mobile station comprising;

periodically communicate with a radio tag with a first period between subsequent communications;

performing pairing with the radio tag;

causing storing in the memory pairing information relating to the paired radio tag;

defining a first profile associated with the mobile station, wherein the first profile is defined at the mobile station based on at least a location of the mobile station being at least one of a home, car, office, public area, and a high risk location;

defining a second profile associated with the paired radio tag; and

adjusting the first period between the subsequent communications based on at least the first profile associated with the mobile station and the second profile associated with the paired radio tag.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to define the first profile depending on operating mode of the mobile station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to define the first profile depending on software being currently run by the mobile station.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to define the first, profile depending on services being currently used by the mobile station.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to define the first profile depending on a user command.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to adjust the first period depending on estimated distance between the apparatus and the paired radio tag.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to adjust the first period depending on the estimated distance with resolution of one zone of two or more zones.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to receive radio signal information from the radio unit via the radio unit interface and to estimate the distance based on the received radio signal information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to define the second profile depending on quality of radio connection between the apparatus and the paired radio tag.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor cause the apparatus to define the second profile depending on estimated distance between the apparatus and the paired radio tag.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to cause, using the radio unit interface, the radio unit to inform the paired radio tag of timing of the periodical communicating.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the timing of the periodical communicating is indicated by the first period and by a reference moment.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to determine if the paired radio tag and the apparatus distance from each other and if yes to further;

determine which of the paired radio tag and the apparatus is moving apart from one another and to correspondingly cause issuing of a user perceivable signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to cause issuing the user perceivable signal at one or more of the paired radio tag;

the apparatus; and

the mobile station.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to cause depending on the first profile the issuing the user perceivable signal at one or more of the paired radio tag;

the apparatus; and

the mobile station.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the defining the first profile and the second profile is performed automatically based on criteria received from a service provider of the mobile station.

16. A method comprising:

causing a radio unit of a mobile station to periodically communicate with a radio tag with a first period between subsequent communications;

causing the radio unit to perform pairing with the radio tag;

causing storing of pairing information relating to the paired radio tag;

defining a first profile associated with the mobile station, wherein the first profile is defined at the mobile station based on at least a location of the mobile station being at least one of a home, car, office, public area, and a high risk location;

defining a second profile associated with the paired radio tag; and

adjusting the first period based on at least the first profile and the second profile associated with the paired radio tag.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising adjusting the first period depending on operating mode of the mobile station.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising adjusting the first period depending on software being currently run by the mobile station.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause operations comprising:

causing a radio unit of a mobile station to periodically communicate with a radio tag with a first period between subsequent communications;

causing the radio unit to perform pairing with the radio tag;

causing storing of pairing information relating to the paired radio tag;

defining a first profile associated with the mobile station, wherein the first profile is defined at the mobile station based on at least a location of the mobile station being at least one of a home, car, office, public area, and a high risk location;

defining a second profile associated with the paired radio tag; and

adjusting the first period based on at least the first profile and the second profile associated with the paired radio tag.