Device with passive receiver

• US 20030119568A1
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Royal Thoughts LLC
• Inventors: Menard, Raymond J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2013 triggering of discharging means by contact of injector with patient body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8212 with means or measures taken for minimising energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless communications apparatus includes a wake-up receiver adapted to receive a wake-up signal and an initially powered-off, sleeping wireless communications transceiver. When the wake-up receiver receives the wake-up signal, it can in turn power on the wireless communications transceiver. In another aspect, the invention includes an apparatus for sending a wake-up signal to the wake-up receiver. The wake-up transmitter and the wake-up receiver can communicate via a variety of wireless communications protocols, including the BLUETOOTH™ standard.

Claims

1. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

(a) a wake-up receiver adapted to receive a wake-up signal over a secondary network; and

(b) an initially powered-off, sleeping wireless communications transceiver communicating over a primary network and adapted to be powered on by the wake-up receiver when the wake-up receiver receives the wake-up signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wake-up receiver only draws power from the wake-up signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wake-up receiver and the powered-off, sleeping wireless communications transceiver share components.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the primary network and the secondary network use the same frequency band.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the primary network and the secondary network use different frequency bands.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary network is bi-directional, the wake-up receiver being a transceiver.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wake-up receiver is powered by a power source distinct from that powering the wireless communications transceiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wake-up receiver receives data other than the wake-up signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data is an identification code, and further comprising a filter comparing the received identifier code to a stored code.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein components associated with the sleeping wireless communications transceiver are activated if the identifier code matches the stored code.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data is a security protocol governing the activation of the primary network.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data is a query to the sleeping wireless communications transceiver, which returns a response to the query.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data is an activation signal causing the secondary network to take over the function of the primary network.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary network utilizes a magnetic signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary network utilizes a radio frequency signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary network utilizes short-range data communications protocols.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the short-range data communications protocols are selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth™

, HomeRF™

, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.11.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the primary network utilizes short-range data communications protocols.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the short-range data communications protocols are selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth™

, HomeRF™

, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.11, an ad hoc networking.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a long-range bi-directional transceiver associated with the sleeping wireless communications transceiver.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a remote system communicating with the long-range bi-directional transceiver over a long-range network.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the long-range network utilizes communications protocols selected from the group consisting of CDPD, CDMA, GSM, 3G, WAP, Aloha, PDC, PHS, PCS, trunk radio, TDMA, FLEX™

, ReFLEX™

, iDEN™

, TETRA™

, DECT, DataTAC™

, Mobitex™

, RAMNET™

, and Ardis™

.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the long-range network utilizes communications protocols selected from the group consisting of POCSAG, MBS, RDS, ERMES, Golay Format, NEC-D3 Format, Mark IV/V/VI Formats, Hexadecimal Sequential Code, FLEX™

format, Advanced Paging Operations Code, ReFLEX™

format, inflexion format, and NexNet format.

24. The apparatus of claim 8, where the data comprises connection information to accelerate the activation of the sleeping wireless communications transceiver to communicate with other systems.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, where the data is selected from the group consisting of timing data, frequency hopping patterns, and network protocols.

26. Apparatus for waking a powered-off, sleeping, wireless communications transceiver, comprising:

(a) a wake-up transmitter adapted to transmit a wake-up signal over a secondary network to the sleeping, wireless communications transceiver, and

(b) a bi-directional wireless communications transceiver communicating over a primary network.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the wake-up transmitter and the bi-directional wireless communications transceiver share components.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the wake-up signal is adapted to provide power to the sleeping, wireless communications transceiver.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the primary network and the secondary network use the same frequency band.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the primary network and the secondary network use different frequency bands.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the secondary network utilizes short-range data communications protocols.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the short-range data communications protocols are selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth™

, HomeRF™

, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.11.

33. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the primary network utilizes short-range data communications protocols.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the short-range data communications protocols are selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth™

, HomeRF™

, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.11, an ad hoc networking.

35. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a long-range bi-directional transceiver associated with the bidirectional wireless communications transceiver.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising a remote system communicating with the long-range bi-directional transceiver over a long-range network.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the long-range network utilizes communications protocols selected from the group consisting of CDPD, CDMA, GSM, 3G, WAP, Aloha, PDC, PHS, PCS, trunk radio, TDMA, FLEX™

, ReFLEX™

, iDEN™

, TETRA™

, DECT, DataTAC™

, Mobitex™

, RAMNET™

, and Ardis™

.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the long-range network utilizes communications protocols selected from the group consisting of POCSAG, MBS, RDS, ERMES, Golay Format, NEC-D3 Format, Mark IV/V/VI Formats, Hexadecimal Sequential Code, FLEX™

format, Advanced Paging Operations Code, ReFLEX™

format, inflexion format, and NexNet format.

39. Wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

(a) an active system having a wake-up transmitter transmitting a wake-up signal over a secondary network, and a bi-directional wireless communications transceiver; and

(b) a sleeping system having a wake-up receiver receiving the wake-up signal, and a powered-off wireless communications transceiver adapted to communicate with the active system'"'"'s bi-directional wireless communications transceiver over a primary network;

wherein the powered-off wireless communications transceiver enters a powered-on state in communication with the active system'"'"'s bi-directional wireless communications transceiver upon receipt of the wake-up signal.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising a short-range, wireless secondary network carrying a wake-up signal from the wake-up transmitter to the wake-up receiver.

41. Communications apparatus, comprising:

(a) an active system having a wake-up transmitter transmitting a wake-up signal over a secondary network, and a bi-directional wireless communications transceiver; and

(b) a sleeping system having a wake-up receiver receiving the wake-up signal, and a powered-off wireless communications transceiver adapted to communicate with the active system'"'"'s bi-directional wireless communications transceiver over a primary network;

(c) wherein the secondary network utilizes short-range data communications protocols selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth™

, HomeRF™

, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.11

wherein the powered-off wireless communications transceiver enters a powered-on state in communication with the active system'"'"'s bi-directional wireless communications transceiver upon receipt of the wake-up signal.

42. A method of waking a powered-off, sleeping wireless communications apparatus, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a wake-up signal over a secondary network from an active system having a wake-up transmitter and a bi-directional wireless communications transceiver communicating over a primary network;

(b) receiving the wake-up signal at a wake-up receiver in the sleeping wireless communications apparatus; and

(c) the wake-up receiver causing the sleeping wireless communications apparatus to enter a powered-on state and to communicate over the primary network.

43. Communications apparatus, comprising:

(a) an active system having a wake-up transmitter transmitting a wake-up signal over a secondary network, a bi-directional wireless communications transceiver, and a long-range bidirectional transceiver; and

(b) a sleeping system having a wake-up receiver receiving the wake-up signal, and a powered-off wireless communications transceiver adapted to communicate with the active system'"'"'s bi-directional wireless communications transceiver over a primary network;

(c) wherein the secondary network utilizes short-range data communications protocols selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth™

, HomeRF™

, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.11,

wherein the powered-off wireless communications transceiver enters a powered-on state in communication with the active system'"'"'s bi-directional wireless communications transceiver upon receipt of the wake-up signal.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the long-range bidirectional transceiver utilizes communications protocols selected from the group consisting of CDPD, CDMA, GSM, 3G, WAP, Aloha, PDC, PHS, PCS, trunk radio, TDMA, FLEX™

, ReFLEX™

, iDEN™

, TETRA™

, DECT, DataTAC™

, Mobitex™

, RAMNET™

, and Ardis™

.