Multi-protocol contactless communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11044070-B2
Application number	US-201916278039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2019
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus for EM communications. One of the methods includes determining, at a first device, that a second device is present; initiating a half duplex communication with the second device; configuring communication with the second device including determining whether full duplex communication is available; in response to a determination that full duplex communication is not available, communicating with the second device in half duplex mode; and in response to a determination that full duplex communication is available, communication with the second device in full duplex mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, at a first device, that a second device is positioned within proximity of the first device;
in response to the determining that the second device is positioned within proximity of the first device, entering an initialization state from a sleep state, wherein in the initialization state:
transmitting, by a transceiver of the first device, a series pulses to the second device to wake up the second device, wherein a width of the series of pulses is set to be longer than a listen period of the second device in the sleep state; and
switching the transceiver to a receiver mode to listen for return pulses from the second device;

in response to receiving one or more return pulses from the second device, entering an active state; and
communicating with the second device in the active state using the first transceiver.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with the second device using the first transceiver comprises:
configuring communication with the second device including determining whether full duplex communication is available on the second device;
in response to a determination that full duplex communication is not available, communicating with the second device in half duplex mode using the transceiver; and
in response to a determination that full duplex communication is available, communicating with the second device in full duplex mode using the transceiver and one or more receivers or additional transceivers.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein communicating with the second device in half duplex mode comprises:
sending a tick packet to the second device to indicate that the second device can switch to a transmitter mode;
switching to the receiver mode after sending the tick packet;
receiving a tock packet from the second device indicating that the first device can return to transmitter mode; and
switching back to transmitter mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the second device is positioned within proximity of the first device comprises using a side-band signal to detect the presence of the second device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the series of pulses are selected to cover a particular time period based on a sleep state receiving period of another device.

6. A method comprising:
receiving, at a transceiver of a first device in a sleep state operating in receiver mode, one or more pulses transmitted by a host device, wherein the sleep state comprises periodic listening periods each having a duration based on a width of a series of pulses transmitted by the host device;
in response to receiving the one or more pulse, entering an initialization state from the sleep state and switching the transceiver of the first device to a transmitter mode;
transmitting a series of return pulses to the host device;
switching to an active state and switching the transceiver to a receiver mode; and
communicating with the host device in the active state using the transceiver.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein communicating with the host device comprises:
receiving a half duplex communication from the host device including configuration information for configuring communication between the first device and the host device;
in response to a determination that full duplex communication is not available based on the configuration information, communicating with the host device in half duplex mode using the transceiver; and
in response to a determination that full duplex communication is available based on the configuration information, communicating with the host device in full duplex mode using the transceiver and one or more receivers or additional transceivers.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein communicating with the host device in half duplex mode comprises:
receiving communications from the host device including a tick packet indicating that the first device can switch to a transmitter mode;
switching the transceiver to the transmitter mode;
sending communications to the host device including a tock packet indicating that the host device can return to transmitter mode; and
returning the transceiver back to receiver mode.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein in the sleep state, the device periodically activates a receiver for a specified receiving period to receive pulses sent by the host.

10. A system comprising:
a first device comprising one or more communication modules each including one or more integrated circuit packages, wherein the first device is configured to perform operations comprising:
determining, at the first device, that a second device is positioned within proximity of the first device;
in response to the determining that the second device is positioned within proximity of the first device, entering an initialization state from a sleep state, wherein in the initialization state:
transmitting, by a transceiver of the first device, a series pulses to the second device to wake up the second device, wherein a width of the series of pulses is set to be longer than a listen period of the second device in the sleep state; and
switching the transceiver to a receiver mode to listen for return pulses from the second device;

in response to receiving one or more return pulses from the second device, entering an active state; and
communicating with the second device in the active state using the first transceiver.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein communicating with the second device using the first transceiver comprises:
configuring communication with the second device including determining whether full duplex communication is available on the second device;
in response to a determination that full duplex communication is not available, communicating with the second device in half duplex mode using the transceiver; and
in response to a determination that full duplex communication is available, communicating with the second device in full duplex mode using the transceiver and one or more receivers or additional transceivers.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein communicating with the second device in half duplex mode comprises:
sending a tick packet to the second device to indicate that the second device can switch to a transmitter mode;
switching to the receiver mode after sending the tick packet;
receiving a tock packet from the second device indicating that the first device can return to transmitter mode; and
switching back to transmitter mode.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining that the second device is positioned within proximity of the first device comprises using a side-band signal to detect the presence of the second device.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the series of pulses are selected to cover a particular time period based on a sleep state receiving period of another device.

15. A system comprising:
a first device comprising one or more communication modules each including one or more integrated circuit packages, wherein the first device is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at a transceiver of the first device in a sleep state operating in receiver mode, one or more pulses transmitted by a host device, wherein the sleep state comprises periodic listening periods each having a duration based on a width of a series of pulses transmitted by the host device;
in response to receiving the one or more pulses, entering an initialization state from the sleep state and switching the transceiver of the first device to a transmitter mode;
transmitting a series of return pulses to the host device;
switching to an active state

Assignees

• Keyssa Systems Inc

Inventors

• Pak Edward T
• Isaac Roger D

Classifications

• H04L1/08

  by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system {(H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H04L43/10

  Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route · CPC title

• H04L1/0041

  Arrangements at the transmitter end · CPC title

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04L1/1874

  Buffer management · CPC title