WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS HAVING SELF SENSING FUNCTION

• US 20100150041A1
• Filed: 04/27/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kwon, Yong Il, Park, Tah Joon, Kim, Myeung Su, LIM, Joon Hyung, Hong, Kyung Hee, Hwang, Sang Hoon, Cho, Han Jin
• Granted Patent: US 8,184,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements

Abstract

Disclosed is a wireless communication apparatus having a self sensing function, which can detect an object by use of a wake-up function without employing a separate sensor. The wireless communication apparatus includes a communication unit wirelessly communicating with a server forming a wireless network, and a wake-up unit waking up the communication unit under the control of the server when the communication unit is in sleep mode, and sensing the presence of an object within a preset communication range according to a reflection signal, which is a signal reflected by the object after being transmitted from the communication unit.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus having a self sensing function, the wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a communication unit wirelessly communicating with a server forming a wireless network; and

a wake-up unit waking up the communication unit under the control of the server when the communication unit is in sleep mode, and sensing the presence of an object within a preset communication range according to a reflection signal, which is a signal reflected by the object after being transmitted from the communication unit.

2. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wake-up unit detects the object according to a signal level of a reflection signal, which is a reflected wireless communication signal between the communication unit and the server.

3. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication unit comprises a first directional antenna outputting a sensing signal in a preset direction, and

the wake-up unit comprises a second directional antenna receiving a reflection signal, which is the sensing signal reflected after being output from the first directional antenna, and detects the object according to a signal level of the reflection signal.

4. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wake-up unit comprises:

a signal converter converting the reflection signal into a direct current (DC) signal; and

a detector detecting a signal level of the DC signal from the signal converter.

5. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 4, wherein the communication unit sends the sensing signal using on-off keying, and

the detector of the wake-up unit determines the presence of the object, which is to be detected, according to at least one of the number of high pulses and the number of low pulses of the converted DC voltage from the signal converter.

6. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 4, wherein the wireless communication apparatus is a Zigbee wireless communication apparatus that transfers a signal using Zigbee.

7. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the wake-up unit comprises:

a signal converter converting the reflection signal into a direct current (DC) signal; and

a detector detecting a signal level of the DC signal from the signal converter.

8. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the communication unit sends the sensing signal using on-off keying, and

the detector of the wake-up unit determines the presence of the object, which is to be detected, according to at least one of the number of high pulses and the number of low pulses of the converted DC voltage from the signal converter.

9. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication apparatus is a Zigbee wireless communication apparatus that transfers a signal using Zigbee.