Communication device and method of operating a communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11757491-B2
Application number	US-202217647285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2022
Priority date	Jan 18, 2021
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

In accordance with a first aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit one or more radio frequency signal pulses to an external communication device; a receiver configured to receive one or more response signals in response to the radio frequency signal pulses transmitted by the transmitter; a signal analyzer configured to detect one or more characteristics of the response signals, to compare the detected characteristics with predefined reference characteristics and to generate an output indicative of a result of comparing the detected characteristics with the predefined reference characteristics; a processing unit configured to determine at least one category to which the external communication device belongs based on the output generated by the signal analyzer. In accordance with a second aspect, a corresponding method of operating a communication device is conceived. In accordance with a third aspect, a corresponding computer program is provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication device, comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit one or more radio frequency signal pulses to an external object;
a receiver configured to receive one or more response signals in response to the radio frequency signal pulses transmitted by the transmitter;
a signal analyzer configured to detect one or more characteristics of the response signals, to compare the detected characteristics with predefined reference characteristics and to generate an output indicative of a result of comparing the detected characteristics with the predefined reference characteristics; and
a processing unit configured to determine at least one category to which the external object belongs based on the output generated by the signal analyzer, wherein the at least one category to which the external object belongs indicates whether the external object is a counterpart device of the communication device capable of directing communication signals to the communication device;
wherein the one or more characteristics of the response signals comprise steady state complex vector signal characteristics of the response signals or step response signal characteristics of the response signals.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to perform at least one of the following operations in dependence on the determined category:
send a polling command to the external object;
start a communication session with the external object;
configure one or more parameters of the transmitter; and
configure one or more parameters of the receiver.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to prevent communication with the external communication device in dependence on the determined category, in response to determining that the external object is not capable of directing communication signals to the communication device.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the signal analyzer comprises a classifier configured to process the response signals.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the response signals comprise steady state complex vector signal characteristics analyzed for a single carrier frequency pulse.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the response signals comprise steady state complex vector signal characteristics analyzed for multiple carrier frequency pulses.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the response signals comprise step response signal characteristics analyzed for a single carrier frequency pulse.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the response signals comprise step response signal characteristics analyzed for multiple carrier frequency pulses.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the response signals comprise characteristics obtained by applying broadband frequency analysis on the response signals when the transmitter transmits a modulated radio frequency signal pulse to the external object.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a near field communication device or a radio frequency identification device.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to cause the communication device to enter a power-saving state in which it does not transmit communication signals to the external object, in response to determining that the at least one category to which the external object belongs indicates that the external object is not a counterpart device of the communication device capable of directing communication signals to the communication device.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to cause the communication device to exit a power-saving state in which it does not transmit communication signals to the external object and to begin transmitting communication signals to the external object, in response to determining that the at least one category to which the external object belongs indicates that the external object is a counterpart device of the communication device capable of directing communication signals to the communication device.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein, the communication signals comprise active reader mode polling commands.

14. A method of operating a communication device, the device comprising a transmitter, a receiver, a signal analyzer and a processing unit, the method comprising:
transmitting, by the transmitter, one or more radio frequency signal pulses to an external object;
receiving, by the receiver, one or more response signals in response to the radio frequency signal pulses transmitted by the transmitter;
detecting, by the signal analyzer, one or more characteristics of the response signals, comparing the detected characteristics with predefined reference characteristics and generating an output indicative of a result of comparing the detected characteristics with the predefined reference characteristics; and
determining, by the processing unit, at least one category to which the external object belongs based on the output generated by the signal analyzer, wherein the at least one category to which the external object belongs indicates whether the external object is a counterpart device of the communication device capable of directing communication signals to the communication device;
wherein the one or more characteristics of the response signals comprises steady state complex vector signal characteristics of the response signals or step response signal characteristics of the response signals.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit performs at least one of the following operations in dependence on the determined category:
send a polling command to the external object;
start a communication session with the external object;
configure one or more parameters of the transmitter; and
configure one or more parameters of the receiver.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises the processing unit causing the communication device to enter a power-saving state in which it does not transmit communication signals to the external object, in response to determining that the at least one category to which the external object belongs indicates that the external object is not a counterpart device of the communication device capable of directing communication signals to the communication device.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises the processing unit causing the communication device to exit a power-saving state in which it does not transmit communication signals to the external object and to begin transmitting communication signals to the external object in response to determining that the at least one category to which the external object belongs indicates that the external object is a counterpart device of the communication device capable of directing communication signals to the communication device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein, the communication signals comprise active reader mode polling commands.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit prevents communication with the external object in dependence on the determined category.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the signal analyzer comprises a classifier, and wherein the classifier processes the response signals.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the characteristics of the response signals comprise steady state complex vector signal characteristics

Assignees

• Nxp Bv

Inventors

• Wobak Markus
• Stahl Johannes
• Muehlmann Ulrich Andreas

Classifications

• H04B1/408 Primary

  the transmitter oscillator frequency being identical to the receiver local oscillator frequency · CPC title

• H04B5/24

  Inductive coupling · CPC title

• H04W52/0225 Primary

  using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal · CPC title

• H04W52/0248

  dependent on the time of the day, e.g. according to expected transmission activity · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title