System and method for communicating between near field communication devices within a target region using near field communication

• US 9,960,813 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freelinc Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Freelinc Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Dobyns, Douglas Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): TALUKDER, MD K
• Application Number:
  US15/380,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412, 455 413
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1584 Full Mesh, e.g. knockout
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/383 power control in peer-to-peer links
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for communication between near field communication devices within a target communication region using near field magnetic induction is disclosed. One method comprises generating a near field detectable signal at an active node having a power level sufficient to enable communication with a plurality of near field communication nodes located within the target communication region. Information is modulated onto the near field detectable signal using at least one of the near field communication nodes. The modulated information is detected at the active node. The information is then relayed on the near field detectable signal from the active node to at least one of the plurality of near field communication nodes within the target communication region.

Claims

1. An apparatus of an active node operable for communication between near field communication devices within a target communication region, wherein the active node is configured to:

generate, at the active node, a near field detectable signal having a power level sufficient to enable communication with a plurality of near field communication nodes located within the target communication region that is defined by the active node based in part on a wavelength of the near field detectable signal transmitted from the active node,

wherein at least one of the plurality of near field communication nodes are configured to modulate information onto the near field detectable signal, and

wherein the active node has a plurality of mutually orthogonal antennas, wherein at least one of the mutually orthogonal antennas is operable to extract information from the near field detectable signal and modulate information onto the near field detectable signal, and wherein the plurality of mutually orthogonal antennas is operable to further define the target communication region;

detect the modulated information at the active node; and

relay the information on the near field detectable signal from the active node to at least one of the plurality of near field communication nodes within the target communication region.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active node has a power level at least 10 times greater than a power level consumed by a near field communication node located within the target communication region.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active node is configured to generate the near field detectable signal at a power level greater than 1 kilowatt.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active node is configured to generate the near field detectable signal at a power level greater than 100 kilowatts.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active node comprises a near field magnetic induction transducer that is configured to generate the near field detectable signal at a frequency having a wavelength that is at least 2pi times greater than a distance between the active node and the plurality of near field communication nodes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the target communication region has a perimeter with a distance from the active node that is less than 2pi times the wavelength of the near field detectable signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of communication nodes are configured to modulate the information onto the near field detectable signal using load modulation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active node is configured to relay the information onto the near field detectable signal by varying a characteristic of the near field detectable signal, with the characteristic selected from the group consisting of a frequency, a phase, an amplitude, and combinations thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of communication nodes are identifiable with a predetermined address to enable the active node to communicate with one or more of the plurality of near field communication nodes.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active node is further configured to encrypt the relayed information such that it can only be decrypted by one or more selected near field communication nodes.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of communication nodes are configured to encrypt the information such that it can only be decrypted by one or more of the active node and selected near field communication nodes.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active node is further configured to communicate with additional active nodes to enable data from a first active node to be passed through a second active node to a third active node that is outside of the first active node'"'"'s range.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of near field communication nodes has a plurality of mutually orthogonal antennas, wherein at least one of the mutually orthogonal antennas are operable to extract information from the near field detectable signal and modulate information onto the near field detectable signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of near field communication nodes comprise a personal area network or a mesh network.

15. An apparatus of a near field communication node for communication with an active node within a target communication region, wherein the near field communication node is configured to:

receive, at the near field communication node, a near field detectable signal, wherein the near field detectable signal has a power level sufficient to enable communication with the active node located within the target communication region,

wherein the near field communication node has a plurality of mutually orthogonal antennas, wherein at least one of the mutually orthogonal antennas is operable to extract information from the near field detectable signal and modulate information onto the near field detectable signal, and wherein the plurality of mutually orthogonal antennas is operable to further define the target communication region; and

wherein the target communication region is defined by the active node based in part on a wavelength of the near field detectable signal transmitted from the active node; and

modulate, at the near field communication node, information onto the near field detectable signal, wherein the active node is configured to detect the modulated information and relay the information on the near field detectable signal to at least one of a plurality of near field communication nodes within the target communication region.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the target communication region has a perimeter with a distance from the active node that is less than 2pi times the wavelength of the near field detectable signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the near field communication node is configured to modulate the information onto the near field detectable signal using load modulation.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the near field communication node is configured to relay the information onto the near field detectable signal by varying a characteristic of the near field detectable signal, with the characteristic selected from the group consisting of a frequency, a phase, an amplitude, and combinations thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the near field communication node is identifiable with a predetermined address to enable the active node to communicate with one or more of the plurality of near field communication nodes.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the near field communication node is further configured to decrypt the relayed information.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the near field communication node is configured to encrypt the information such that it can only be decrypted by one or more of the active node and selected near field communication nodes.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of near field communication nodes comprise a personal area network or a mesh network.

23. At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon for performing communication between near field communication devices within a target communication region, the instructions when executed by an active node perform the following:

generate, at the active node, a near field detectable signal having a power level sufficient to enable communication with a plurality of near field communication nodes located within the target communication region that is defined by the active node based in part on a wavelength of the near field detectable signal transmitted from the active node,

wherein at least one of the plurality of near field communication nodes are configured to modulate information onto the near field detectable signal, and

wherein the active node has a plurality of mutually orthogonal antennas, wherein at least one of the mutually orthogonal antennas is operable to extract information from the near field detectable signal and modulate information onto the near field detectable signal, and wherein the plurality of mutually orthogonal antennas is operable to further define the target communication region;

detect the modulated information at the active node; and

relay the information on the near field detectable signal from the active node to at least one of the plurality of near field communication nodes within the target communication region.

24. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the near field detectable signal at the active node has a power level of greater than 1 kilowatt.

25. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the near field detectable signal at the active node has a power level of greater than 100 kilowatts.

26. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the near field detectable signal at a frequency has a wavelength that is at least 2pi times greater than a distance between the active node and the plurality of near field communication nodes.

27. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 23, the instructions when executed by an active node further perform the following:

relay the information onto the near field detectable signal by varying a characteristic of the near field detectable signal, with the characteristic selected from the group consisting of a frequency, a phase, an amplitude, and combinations thereof.

28. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 23, the instructions when executed by an active node further perform the following:

encrypt the relayed information such that it can only be decrypted by one or more selected near field communication nodes.

29. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 23, the instructions when executed by an active node further perform the following:

communicate with additional active nodes to enable data from a first active node to be passed through a second active node to a third active node that is outside of the first active node'"'"'s range.

30. At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon for performing communication between near field communication devices within a target communication region, the instructions when executed by a near field communication node perform the following:

receive, at the near field communication node, a near field detectable signal, wherein the near field detectable signal has a power level sufficient to enable communication with the active node located within the target communication region,

wherein the near field communication node has a plurality of mutually orthogonal antennas,

wherein at least one of the mutually orthogonal antennas is operable to extract information from the near field detectable signal and modulate information onto the near field detectable signal, and wherein the plurality of mutually orthogonal antennas is operable to further define the target communication region; and

wherein the target communication region is defined by the active node based in part on a wavelength of the near field detectable signal transmitted from the active node; and

modulate, at the near field communication node, information onto the near field detectable signal, wherein the active node is configured to detect the modulated information and relay the information on the near field detectable signal to at least one of a plurality of near field communication nodes within the target communication region.