Wireless communication device interconnectivity

• US 20030181229A1
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J., Horrell, Peter Robert George
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A wireless communication device that is attached or included in an electronic object, such as a portable computer, having its own separate communication system. The separate communication system has an antenna for receiving and transmitting wireless communications, and is powered by a power supply included in the object. Since the separate communication system can only communicate when powered, a separate passive wireless communication device is provided for wireless communication that does not require power from the power supply to communicate. The wireless communication device is interfaced with the existing antenna of the separate communication system so that the wireless communication device and separate communication system share a common antenna to reduce cost. The antenna may also be interconnected to a controller associated with the object so that the controller can directly communicate to the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a wireless communication device having an antenna for wireless communications, wherein said antenna is adapted to receive communication signals having a defined protocol and a defined operating frequency for processing by said wireless communication device; and

a controller that is directly and communicatively coupled to said antenna using at least one connection point;

said controller adapted to send communication signals emulating said defined protocol and at said defined operating frequency over said at least one connection point to said antenna, wherein said wireless communication device is adapted to receive said communication signals from said controller for processing.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication device receives energy for operation from said communication signals.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication device contains memory wherein said wireless communication device is adapted to store information received from said communication signals in said memory.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication device is interrogated by an interrogation reader.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said wireless communication device communicates information in said memory to said interrogation reader in response to the interrogation by said interrogation reader.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said controller is coupled to said wireless communication device through an input/output port.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said input/output port is switchable to allow communication signals to be sent from said controller to said wireless communication device and to allow communication signals to be sent from said wireless communication device to said controller.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said controller controls the output of a pull-up device to place the input/output device in a tri-state mode.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication device is a low frequency device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said controller drives a communication signal that is amplitude modulated and coupled using a limiting resistor and a direct current isolating capacitor.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication device is contained inside a portable computer.

12. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a transceiver that is adapted to transmit and receive communication signals at a first operating frequency;

an antenna coupled to said transceiver wherein said antenna is adapted to transmit said communication signals and receive communication signals at said first operating frequency for processing by said transceiver; and

a wireless communication device; and

a matching network coupled between said wireless communication device wherein said matching network matches the impedance of the wireless communication device to the impedance of said antenna at a second operating frequency different from said first operating frequency so that said wireless communication device can to receive communication signals at said second operating frequency for processing.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said transceiver is a mobile phone.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said first operating frequency is 920 MHz and said second operating frequency is 868 MHz.

15. A portable computer security system, comprising:

a portable computer, comprising;

a wireless communication device having memory and an antenna for wireless communications, wherein said antenna is adapted to receive communication signals having a defined protocol and a defined operating frequency for processing by said wireless communication device; and

a controller that controls the operation of the laptop computer and that is directly and communicatively coupled to said antenna using at least one connection point; and

said controller adapted to send communication signals emulating said defined protocol and at said defined operating frequency over said at least one connection point to said antenna, wherein said wireless communication device is adapted to receive said communication signals from said controller for processing; and

said controller adapted to communicate over a network;

a host computer communicatively connected to said portable computer wherein said portable computer is adapted to communicate a permission token request to said host computer and said host computer is adapted to authorized said permission token request communicate a permission token in response thereto to said portable computer wherein said portable computer communicates said permission token to said wireless communication device and said wireless communicated device stores said permission token in said memory.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said wireless communication device is interrogated by an interrogation reader.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said wireless communication device communicates said permission token to said interrogation reader when said interrogation reader interrogates said wireless communication device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said interrogation reader authenticates said permission token by communicating on said network to said host computer to determine if said permission token is authentic.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said host computer authenticates said permission token by determining if said host computer previously issued said permission token.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said interrogation reader generates an alarm if said permission token is not authenticated.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said portable computer is allowed to be removed if said permission token is authentic.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein said interrogation reader communicates with said wireless communication device to erase said permission token from said memory if said permission token is authentic.

23. A method of communicating with a wireless communication device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication signal through an antenna wherein said communications signal is generated by a controller directly coupled to said antenna; and

processing said communication signal by a wireless communication device communicatively coupled to said antenna.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising powering said wireless communication device using said communication signal.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing information received from said communication signals in memory coupled to said wireless communication device.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising interrogating said wireless communication device using an interrogation reader.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising communicating information in said memory to said interrogation reader in response to the interrogation by said interrogation reader.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising switching an input/output port to allow communication signals to be sent from said controller to said wireless communication device and to allow communication signals to be sent from said wireless communication device to said controller.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising driving a communication signal that is amplitude modulated and coupled using a limiting resistor and a direct current isolating capacitor.

30. A method of sharing a common antenna for communications, comprising the steps of:

transmitting and receiving communication signals at a first operating frequency using an antenna that is adapted to transmit said communication signals and receive communication signals at said first operating frequency;

matching the impedance between a wireless communication device and said antenna when said antenna receives a communication signal having a second operating frequency so that said wireless communication device can receive said communication signal at said second operating frequency for processing and such that said wireless communication device does receive said communication signals at said first operating frequency.

31. A method of authorizing transport of a portable computer, comprising the steps of:

requesting a permission token over a network from a host computer;

authorizing said permission token request and sending a permission token in response if said permission token request is authorized.

receiving said permission token over said network by a portable computer;

communicating said permission token to a wireless communication device by sending a communication signal directly to an antenna coupled to said wireless communication device; and

storing said permission token in a memory coupled to said wireless communication device.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising interrogating said wireless communication device using an interrogation reader.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising communicating said permission token to said interrogation reader after said step of interrogating.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising authenticating said permission token by communicating on said network to said host computer to determine if said permission token is authentic.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising authenticating said permission token by determining if said host computer previously issued said permission token.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising generating an alarm if said permission token is not authenticated.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising communicating with said wireless communication device to erase said permission token from said memory if said permission token is authentic.