COMMUNICATION DEVICE, READER/WRITER DEVICE, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20110294428A1
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hatakeyama, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,124,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

There is provided a communication device including a secure communication unit configured to perform secure communication with an external reader/writer device, the secure communication being secure close-proximity communication, a first communication unit configured to perform high-speed communication with the reader/writer device, the high-speed communication being close-proximity communication that is faster than the secure communication, a second communication unit configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, communicate with the reader/writer device with a communication mode that is different from a communication mode of the high-speed communication, a power transmission unit configured to receive power transmitted from the reader-writer device by power transmission, and a secondary battery configured to store the power received by the power transmission unit. The second communication unit may be configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, operate with the power stored in the secondary battery.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a secure communication unit configured to perform secure communication with an external reader/writer device, the secure communication being secure close-proximity communication;

a first communication unit configured to perform high-speed communication with the reader/writer device, the high-speed communication being close-proximity communication that is faster than the secure communication;

a second communication unit configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, communicate with the reader/writer device with a communication mode that is different from a communication mode of the high-speed communication;

a power transmission unit configured to receive power transmitted from the reader/writer device by power transmission; and

a secondary battery configured to store the power received by the power transmission unit,

wherein the second communication unit is configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, operate with the power stored in the secondary battery.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second communication unit is configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, negotiate with the reader/writer, and to, if the negotiation has been successful, communicate with the reader/writer device.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, further comprising a storage unit configured to store information about communication performed by each of the first communication unit and the second communication unit, wherein the information stored in the storage unit is used for the negotiation.

4. A reader/writer device comprising:

a secure communication unit configured to perform secure communication with an external portable communication device, the secure communication being secure close-proximity communication;

a first communication unit configured to perform high-speed communication with the portable communication device, the high speed communication being close-proximity communication that is faster than the secure communication; and

a second communication unit configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, communicate with the portable communication device with a communication mode that is different from a communication mode of the high-speed communication.

5. The reader/writer device according to claim 4, further comprising a power transmission unit configured to transmit power to the portable communication device by power transmission, wherein when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, transmission of power by the power transmission unit is stopped.

6. The reader/writer device according to claim 4, wherein when the portable communication device has not responded to data transmitted via the high-speed communication, the second communication unit starts to communicate with the portable communication device.

7. A communication system comprising:

a secure communication unit configured to perform secure communication with an external reader/writer device, the secure communication being secure close-proximity communication;

a first communication unit configured to perform high-speed communication with the reader/writer device, the high-speed communication being close-proximity communication that is faster than the secure communication;

a second communication unit configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, communicate with the reader/writer device with a communication mode that is different from a communication mode of the high-speed communication; and

the reader/writer device configured to communicate with the portable communication device using one of the secure communication, the high-speed communication, and the communication with the different communication mode.

8. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the reader/writer device further includes a power transmission unit configured to transmit power to the portable communication device by power transmission, wherein when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, transmission of power by the power transmission unit is stopped.

9. The communication system according to claim 8,

wherein the portable communication device further includes a power transmission unit and a secondary battery, the power transmission unit being configured to receive the power transmitted from the reader/write device by the power transmission, and the secondary battery being configured to store the power received by the power transmission unit, and

wherein the second communication unit is configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, operate with the power stored in the secondary battery.

10. A communication method comprising the steps of:

causing a portable communication device and a reader/writer device to perform secure communication, the secure communication being secure close-proximity communication;

causing the portable communication device and the reader/writer device to perform high-speed communication, the high-speed communication being close-proximity communication that is faster than the secure communication; and

causing the portable communication device and the reader/writer device to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, perform communication with a communication mode that is different from a communication mode of the high-speed communication.