Near Field Communication (NFC) Enabled Peripheral Device

• US 20160328341A1
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: HALL, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,965,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/22 using successive scanning, e.g. polling G06F13/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communication system of the present disclosure includes a communication device that is communicatively coupled to a peripheral device. The peripheral device selects a selectable impedance from among multiple selectable impedances to communicate peripheral device information to the communication device. The communication device operates in an acquisition mode of operation to determine the selectable impedance to recover the peripheral device information. Optionally, the communication device can transition to a response mode of operation to respond to the peripheral device information.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a peripheral device configured to select a selectable impedance from among a plurality of selectable impedances to communicate peripheral device information corresponding to the selectable impedance; and

a communication device configured to detect the selectable impedance and to determine the peripheral device information based upon the detected selectable impedance.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to generate a magnetic held and to detect the selectable impedance based upon an intensity of the magnetic field.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein the communication device further configured to:

assign a corresponding potential intensity from among a plurality of potential intensities of the magnetic field to a corresponding selectable impedance from among the plurality of selectable impedances,

assign the corresponding selectable impedance to corresponding peripheral device information from among a plurality of peripheral device information,

select a potential intensity from among the plurality of potential intensities which most suitably matches the intensity of the magnetic field to detect the selectable impedance, and

determine the peripheral device information that corresponds to the detected selectable impedance.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device information comprises:

a first command that the peripheral device is ready to transmit peripheral data to the communication device;

or

a second command indicating that an internal charge storing device of the peripheral device is approaching an insufficient charge to operate the peripheral device.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to provide a series of time-varying magnetic pulses to the communication system and to detect the selectable impedance based on a signal metric of a time-varying magnetic pulse from among the series of time-varying magnetic pulses.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the communication device is further configured to:

determine a signal metric of a time-varying magnetic pulse from among the series of time-varying magnetic pulses,

assign a corresponding potential signal metric from among a plurality of potential signal metrics to a corresponding selectable impedance from among the plurality of selectable impedances,

assign the corresponding selectable impedance to corresponding peripheral device information from among a plurality of peripheral device information,

select a potential signal metric from among the plurality of plurality of potential signal, metrics which most suitably matches the signal metric of the time-varying magnetic pulse to detect the selectable impedance, and

determine the peripheral device information that corresponds to the detected selectable impedance.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to provide a response to the peripheral device information.

8. A communication device communicatively coupled to a peripheral device, comprising:

a communication module configured to provide a series of time-varying magnetic pulses; and

a host processor configured to

determine a signal metric of a time-varying magnetic pulse from among the series of time-varying magnetic pulses,

assign a corresponding potential signal metric from among a plurality of potential signal metrics to a corresponding selectable impedance from among the plurality of selectable impedances,

assign the corresponding selectable impedance to corresponding peripheral device information from among a plurality of peripheral device information,

select a potential signal metric irons among the plurality of potential intensities which most suitably matches the signal metric of the time-varying magnetic pulse to detect a selectable impedance that has been selected by the peripheral device, and

determine peripheral device information that corresponds to the detected selectable impedance.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the peripheral device information comprises:

a first command that the peripheral device is ready to transmit peripheral data to the communication device;

or

a second command indicating an internal charge storing device of the peripheral device is approaching an insufficient charge to operate the peripheral device.

10. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the communication module is configured to provide a response to the peripheral device information.

11. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the response comprises:

a polling command to request peripheral data from the peripheral device;

or

an unmodulated communication to charge one or more internal charge storing devices of the peripheral device.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the peripheral device is a keyboard, and

wherein the peripheral data comprises:

one or more keystrokes of the keyboard.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the communication module is a near field communication (NFC) module.

14. A peripheral device communicatively coupled to a communication device, comprising:

a host processor configured to;

assign each selectable impedance from among a plurality of selectable impedances to a corresponding peripheral device information from among a plurality of peripheral device information, and

select a corresponding selectable impedance from among the plurality of selectable impedances corresponding to a peripheral device information; and

a communication module configured to adjust its impedance to be the selected selectable impedance to communicate the peripheral device information to the communication device.

15. The peripheral device of claim 14, wherein the communication module comprises:

a tuned resonant circuit, the plurality of selectable impedances being implemented as part of the tuned resonant circuit.

16. The peripheral device of claim 15, wherein the tuned resonant circuit comprises:

an impedance selection module including a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of switching elements, each of the plurality of switching elements being coupled between capacitors from among the plurality of capacitors; and

an antenna coupled to the impedance selection module.

17. The peripheral device of claim 16, wherein the impedance selection module and the antenna are coupled in parallel to form a parallel tuned resonant circuit.

18. The peripheral device of claim 14, wherein the peripheral device information comprises:

a first command that the peripheral device is ready to transmit peripheral data to the communication device;

or

a second command indicating that an internal charge storing device of the peripheral device is approaching an insufficient charge to operate the peripheral device.

19. The peripheral device of claim 18, wherein the peripheral device is a key board, and

wherein the peripheral data comprises;

one or more keystrokes of the keyboard.

20. The peripheral device of claim 14, wherein the communication module is a near field communication (NFC) module.