Apparatus for selectively coupling an energy storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9894468-B2
Application number	US-201615070758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 11, 2005
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

Communications apparatus has a short range wireless radio frequency communicator ( 1301 a ) capable of at least one of seeking to initiate short range communication by transmitting an RF signal and of responding to such initiation so that communication between two short range wireless radio frequency communicators occurs when an antenna of a short range wireless radio frequency communicator seeking to initiate communication by transmitting an RF signal is in range of or comes into range of the antenna of another short range wireless radio frequency communicator responsive to such initiation so that the magnetic field of the RF signal transmitted by the short range wireless radio frequency communicator seeking to initiate communication is inductively coupled to the antenna of the short range wireless radio frequency communicator responsive to such initiation to enable communication of at least one of power and data between the short range wireless radio frequency communicators. The communications apparatus also has a high data rate data communicator ( 1301 b ) for communicating directly with another high data rate data communicator to at least one of receive and transmit data when the short range wireless radio frequency communicator ( 1301 a ) has communicated with another in-range short range wireless radio frequency communicator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a first communication device configured to:
initiate communication with a second communication device to enable communication between the first communication device and the second communication device in accordance with a first communication protocol;
derive a power supply from a communication signal received from the second communication device; and
perform an initialization procedure; and

a third communication device coupled to the first communication device configured to:
wirelessly communicate with a fourth communication device in accordance with a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, the third communication device comprising:
a switch configured to:
couple the third communication device to an energy storage device at times where the power supply is not being provided by the first communication device;
decouple the third communication device from the energy storage device at times where the power supply is being provided by the first communication device: and
couple the third communication device to the energy storage device at times where the power supply is being provided by the first communication device to charge the energy storage device;

wherein the first communication protocol comprises a short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol; and
wherein the second communication protocol comprises a long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol, wherein the short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol is able to communicate over a shorter range than the long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol comprises:
a radio-frequency identification (RFID) protocol; or
a near field communication (NFC) protocol.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol comprises:
a wireless universal serial bus (USB) communication protocol; or
a Bluetooth communication protocol.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device is chargeable or rechargeable.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the third communication device further comprises:
a charging energy supplier configured to provide charging energy to the energy storage device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the third communication device further comprises:
a contactless coupling configured to:
inductively receive a charging energy, and provide the charging energy to the energy storage device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the power supply is configured to provide charging energy to the energy storage device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a user indicator coupled to the first communication device and the third communication device, the user indicator configured to indicate user information about the apparatus to a user.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication of the first communication device and the communication of the third communication device are provided by an antenna within the first communication device.

10. An apparatus, comprising:
a first communication device configured to:
derive a power supply from a communication signal that is received in accordance with a first communication protocol; and
perform an initialization procedure; and

a second communication device coupled to the first communication device configured to:
wirelessly communicate in accordance with a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, the second communication device comprising:
a switch configured to:
couple the second communication device to the energy storage device at times where the power supply is not being provided by the first communication device;
decouple the second communication device from the energy storage device at times where the power supply is being provided by the first communication device: and
couple the second communication device to the energy storage device at times where the power supply is being provided by the first communication device to charge the energy storage device;

wherein the first communication protocol comprises a short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol; and
wherein the second communication protocol comprises a long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol, wherein the short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol is able to communicate over a shorter range than the long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the short range wireless radio frequency communication protocol comprises:
a radio-frequency identification (RFID) protocol; or a near field communication (NFC) protocol.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the long range wireless radio frequency communication protocol comprises:
a wireless universal serial bus (USB) communication protocol; or
a Bluetooth communication protocol.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the energy storage device is chargeable or rechargeable.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the second communication device further comprises:
a charging energy supplier configured to provide charging energy to the energy storage device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the second communication device further comprises:
a contactless coupling configured to:
inductively receive a charging energy; and
provide the charging energy to the energy storage device.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the power supply is configured to provide charging energy to the energy storage device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a user indicator coupled to the first communication device and the second communication device, the user indicator configured to indicate user information about the apparatus to a user.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the communication of the first communication device and the communication of the second communication device are provided by an antenna within the first communication device.

Assignees

• Nxp Usa Inc

Inventors

• Brown Robert
• Symons Peter Robert

Classifications

• H04W4/80 Primary

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

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• G06K19/0712

  the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier (active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336) · CPC title

• H02J50/20

  using microwaves or radio frequency waves · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title