RECHARGE OF AN NFC DEVICE

• US 20130225076A1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Stmicroelectronics Rousset SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Charles, Alexandre, Malherbe, Alexandre, Rizzo, Pierre, Vallespin, Nathalie
• Application Number:
  US13/774,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225076A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0703 the battery being onboard of a handheld device, e.g. a smart phone or PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0709 the source being an interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A mobile device including: a battery; an element for charging the battery; a near-field communication circuit; and a connection between the near-field communication circuit and the battery charge element.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

near-field communication circuitry configured to process near-field communication signals;

a rectifier configured to extract power from near-field communication signals;

a power input terminal configured to receive an input supply voltage; and

a power output terminal configured to provide an output power signal.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the rectifier comprises a rectifying bridge.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the power input terminal is configured to couple to a battery.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the power output terminal is configured to couple to a battery charger.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the near-field communication circuitry is configured to generate one or more power-output control signals.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 5 wherein the one or more power-output control signals comprise a switch-control signal.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 6, further comprising a terminal configured to output the switch-control signal.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 6, comprising a switch coupled between the rectifier and the power output terminal and configured to receive the switch-control signal.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 5 wherein the one or more power-output control signals comprise a variable-resistance control signal.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 9, further comprising a terminal configured to output the variable-resistance control signal.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 5 wherein the near-field communication circuitry is configured to generate the one or more power-output control signals based on when near-field transactions occur.

12. A system, comprising:

a battery configured to provide power to the system;

a battery charger configured to charge the battery;

a near-field communication circuit; and

a connection configured to provide power from the near-field communication circuit to the battery charger.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the near-field communication circuit comprises a rectifying bridge having an output directly connected to a terminal of said near-field communication circuit.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the connection comprises a switch configured to selectively couple the near-field communication circuit to the battery charger.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said switch is controlled by the near-field communication circuit.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the connection comprises a resistive element.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said resistive element is of a variable type and the near-field communication circuit is configured to control a value of the resistive element.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising mobile communication circuitry.

19. A method, comprising:

communicatively coupling a mobile communication device having near-field communication circuitry to a near-field communication terminal; and

controlling a connection between the near-field communication circuitry of the mobile communication device and a battery charger of the mobile communication device based on communications between the near-field communication circuitry and the near-field communication terminal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the controlling the connection comprises enabling a transfer of power from the near-field communication circuitry to the battery charger over the connection outside of a period of a transaction between the near-field communication circuitry and the near-field communication terminal.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the controlling the connection comprises controlling a switch configured to couple the near-field communication circuitry to the battery charger.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the controlling the connection comprises controlling a resistance of a variable resistor.

23. A mobile communication device, comprising:

means for supplying power to the system;

means for charging the means for supplying power;

means for processing near-field communications; and

means for selectively enabling a transfer of power from the means for processing near-field communications to the means for charging.

24. The mobile communication device of claim 23, further comprising means for processing mobile communication signals.

25. The mobile communication device of claim 23, comprising an integrated circuit including at least part of the means for processing near-field communications and at least part of the means for selectively enabling.