Method for detecting an adjacent active near-field communication device
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics International N.V.
InventorsNicolas Cordier, Vinko Kunc, Maksimiljan Stiglic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to an embodiment, a method can be performed by a first active near-field communication (NFC) device. The method includes assuming a field detection mode, generating an advertisement pulse, and checking whether a predefined condition is fulfilled. If the checking determines that the predefined condition is fulfilled, the method includes assuming an active mode and communicating with an adjacent active NFC device, and, if the checking does not determine that the predefined condition is fulfilled, the method includes staying in the field detection mode and generating another advertisement pulse.
Claims20
A method using near-field communication (NFC), the method comprising:
- assuming, by a first active NFC device, a field detection mode;
- generating, by the first active NFC device, an advertisement pulse;
- checking, by the first active NFC device, whether a predefined condition is fulfilled;
- if the checking determines that the predefined condition is fulfilled, assuming, by the first active NFC device, an active mode and communicating with an adjacent active NFC device;
- and
- if the checking does not determine that the predefined condition is fulfilled, staying in the field detection mode and generating, by the first active NFC device, another advertisement pulse.
An active near-field communication (NFC) device comprising:
- a receiver configured to be connected to an antenna in order to detect an incoming advertisement pulse in a field detection mode;
- an antenna driver configured to be connected to the antenna in order to generate an advertisement pulse;
- an oscillator configured to generate a signal at a carrier frequency;
- and
- a controller coupled to the receiver, the antenna driver and to the oscillator, the controller configured to
- cause the active NFC device to assume a field detection mode;
- generate an advertisement pulse;
- check whether or not a predefined condition is fulfilled;
- cause the active NFC device to assume an active mode and communicate with an adjacent active NFC device when the predefined condition is fulfilled;
- and
- generate another advertisement pulse when the predefined condition is not fulfilled and while the active NFC device stays in the field detection mode.
An active near-field communication (NFC) device comprising:
- means for generating an advertisement pulse while in a field detection mode;
- means for checking whether or not a predefined condition is fulfilled;
- means for assuming an active mode and communicating with an adjacent active NFC device when the predefined condition is fulfilled;
- and
- means for generating another advertisement pulse when the predefined condition is not fulfilled and while the active NFC device stays in the field detection mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.