METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AT LEAST TWO COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20100069001A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kuck, Detlef, Arndt, Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for electronic communication between at least two communication devices. To allow reliable connection setup between the devices which are to be provided for communication at the same time as simple handling, a method according to the invention has the following steps: two communication devices intended for communication are associated with one another by means of a first coupling mechanism, and the communication between the mutually associated communication devices is performed by means of a second coupling mechanism, wherein the first coupling mechanism has a shorter range than the second coupling mechanism or is effected by means of physical contact between the communication devices.

Claims

1. A method for electronic communication between at least two communication devices comprising:

associating two communication devices intended for data communication using a first coupling and

performing data communication between the mutually associated communication devices using a second coupling;

wherein the first coupling has a shorter range than the second coupling and is activated by physical contact between the communication devices and wherein the first coupling is in the form of a capacitive coupling.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein buttons are provided on the communication devices for making physical contact the buttons respectively including capacitive contacts which allow data transmission between communication devices over a capacitive route.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first coupling and the second coupling respectively use a wireless transmission method, with a transmitted signal dropping approximately exponentially with the distance between the devices which are to be coupled, wherein the dropping occurs to a greater extent in the case of the first coupling than in the case of the second coupling.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating further includes selection of a second communication device, which is to be associated with a first communication device, from a plurality of communication devices, with the range of the first coupling being chosen such that two communication devices in this group cannot simultaneously be below the range in relation to the first communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second coupling is a radio link, based on at least one of BLUETOOTH, WLAN, GSM or WiFi.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second coupling is in the form of an optical transmission system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical transmission standard is an infrared transmission system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to the performance of the communication between the mutually associated communication devices the second coupling is used for identification by transmission of at least one identification signal between the two mutually associated communication devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein

the at least one identification signal is transmitted over the first coupling.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a cryptographic key is exchanged between the two mutually associated communication devices using the first coupling, said key being used to encrypt subsequent communication by means of the second coupling.

11. The method as of claim 1, wherein prior to the performance of the communication between the mutually associated communication devices, the second coupling is used to transmit a profile which is characteristic of the second coupling between the two mutually associated communication devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the profile which is characteristic of the second coupling is likewise transmitted over the first coupling.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein digital data transmission is also effected between the communication devices using pseudo-random sequences for implementing secure and robust data transmission.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a first communication device of the two communication devices is a mobile communication device, and a second communication device from the two communication devices is provided in a motor vehicle mounting kit.

15. An system for electronic communication between at least two communication devices, comprising:

a first capacitive coupling for coupling the two communication devices and activated by physical contact between the communication devices;

a second coupling for coupling the two communication devices, wherein

the two communication devices are intended for data communication are associated using the first capacitive coupling, and

the data communication is performed between the mutually associated communication devices using the second coupling.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the physical contact includes physical contact through a user holding the one communication device and touching a contact associated with the second communication device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the contact is a capacitive button.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the contact is a capacitive vehicle piece.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein a cryptographic key is exchanged between the two mutually associated communication devices using the first coupling, said key being used to encrypt subsequent communication by means of the second coupling.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein a first communication device of the two communication devices is a mobile communication device, and a second communication device from the two communication devices is provided in a motor vehicle mounting kit.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the second coupling is a radio link, based on at least one of BLUETOOTH, WLAN, GSM or WiFi.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the second coupling is in the form of an optical transmission system.