1. Field of Invention:
This invention relates to short range communication devices, processes and systems. More particularly, the invention relates to short range communication devices, processes and systems utilizing radio frequency identification systems with shorter user identification and session setup time in interactive services, and a reader device with transponder functionality.
2. Description of Prior Art
BluetoothR is a short-range wireless communication system operating at 2.4 GHz and designed to establish connection between two or more devices operating within a ten-meter communication range, for nominal output power, but can be extended up to 100 meters for 100 mW-output power. The details of Bluetooth are described in “The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, Specification Of The Bluetooth System, Volumes 1 and 2, Core and Profiles: Version 1.1, 22 Feb., 2001, which are fully incorporated herein by reference. To discover another Bluetooth terminal, an inquiry message is transmitted searching for other devices in the vicinity. Any other Bluetooth terminal that is listening by means of conducting an inquiry scan, will recognize the inquiry message and respond. The inquiry response is a message packet containing the responding devices Bluetooth terminal Address (BD_ADDR). The Bluetooth terminal address is a unique, 48-bit IEEE address, which is electronically engraved into each Bluetooth terminal. The address is virtually guaranteed to be completely unique, so much so that it can be reliably associated with the device's user, much as can the user's passport number or social security number. One of the problems of Bluetooth terminals is the long time required for discovery of a Bluetooth terminal, which can be up to 10 seconds. In many applications, the device discovery time is too long and restricts the usage of Bluetooth, particularly for interactive services.
Radio Frequency Identification (RF-ID) is a wireless system that automatically identifies tracks and manages objects via a fast connection between the object and a RF-ID reader. RF-ID principles are described in a publication entitled “Radio Frequency Identification RF-ID: A Basic Primer”, published by the Automatic Identification Manufacturers (AIM) web site (http: //www.aimglobal.org), Oct. 23, 2001 and fully incorporated herein by reference. The object includes a transponder, active or passive as a RF-ID tag, which when in the presence of an electromagnetic zone created by the reader broadcasts an object identity signal. The reader senses and decodes the broadcast signal to identify the object. The object identity is achieved by a connectionless communication that is a connection without a logical connection between the reader and the object.
The rising use of RF-ID tags promotes standardization efforts to establish a broadly applicable communication framework between RF-ID tag readers and RF-ID tags. Such a standard is established by European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) International, Geneva, Switzerland in a near field communication standard (ECMA-340) dated December 2002. The standard defines communication modes for a near field communication interface and protocol (NFCIP-1) to be used for RF-ID tag readers and RF-ID tags. It also defines both passive and active communication modes to realize a communication network using near field communication enabled devices for networked products and also for consumer equipment. The standard specifies, in particular, modulation schemes, codings, transfer speeds, and frame format of a Radio Frequency/High Frequency (RF/HF) interface, as well as initialization schemes and conditions required for data collision control during initialization. Furthermore, the ECMA Standard defines a transport protocol including protocol activation and data exchange methods.
The aforementioned RF-ID tag reader and RF-ID tag communication is covered in a first approach, as shown in FIG. 5, by the passive communication mode between a phone 1 and a RF-ID tag 700. Correspondingly in a second approach, the active communication mode relates to communications between RF-ID tag readers. The state of the art communication between RF-ID tags readers will be enlightened in view of FIG. 5., wherein a second portable terminal 2 is provided which is connected to a RF-ID tag reader. The RF-ID tag reader may be realized as a stand-alone unit which may be detachably connected to the portable terminal 2 or which may be embedded in the portable terminal 2. Both the RF-ID tag readers of portable terminal 1 and the portable terminal 2 support the active communication mode which means, that the both RF-ID tag readers are adapted to communicate with each other by employing the aforementioned near field communication interface and protocol (NFCIP-1) standard. During active communication mode one of the participating RF-ID tag readers of the portable terminal 1 and portable terminal 2 actively simulates a RF-ID tag whereas the other one actively simulates a RF-ID tag reader. The data communication is established via the wireless communication link 6, which is a radio and high frequency (RF/HF) communication link, respectively. This wireless communication link 6 provide data flow between the application 400 operated on the portable terminal 1 and an application 410 operated on the portable terminal 410.
But in contrast to passive RF-ID tags which are energized by the interrogation signal of the RF-ID tag reader, both participating RF-ID tag readers are always energized independently, i.e. have their own power supply to generate the radio/high frequency (RF/HF) signals used for data communications between those. Therefore, the RF-ID tag reader, which actively simulates a RF-ID tag, may be regarded as an active RF-ID tag.
Despite the advantages provided by the RF-ID tag readers intercommunication several drawbacks of the aforementioned explanation may be identified. The realization of the RF-ID tag reader—RF-ID tag reader intercommunication requires a great effort in development since the interface and protocol definitions are sophisticated and show a significantly complex functionality which is of course required to ensure interoperability between RF-ID tag readers of different manufacturers. Moreover, the realization of the RF-ID tag reader—RF-ID tag reader intercommunication requires energy supply to each participating RF-ID tag reader, which can be problematic in view of portable devices, powered by batteries or accumulators. And in certain circumstances the operation of a portable device is not wanted or even forbidden for example in airplanes or in hospitals. Assume a RF-ID tag reader embedded in a cellular telephone wherein the embedded RF-ID tag reader supports RF-ID tag reader—RF-ID tag reader intercommunication and the user of this cellular telephone wants to establish intercommunication with a fixed RF-ID tag reader. Due to the fact that the embedded RF-ID tag reader has to be energized, intercommunication is not possible in these aforementioned circumstances since the energizing of the embedded RF-ID tag reader results in an unwanted or forbidden energizing of the cellular phone. Comment: This was a very good point!
Furthermore, RF-ID tag reader—RF-ID tag reader intercommunication competes with well established short range communication standards such as Bluetooth which are implemented in numerous state of the art portable terminals. The implementation of competing communication solutions offering comparable functionality is not economical, especially when considering that the implementation of support of RF-ID tag reader—RF-ID tag reader intercommunication is a complex undertaking. However, a RF-ID tag reader with transponder functionality, which simulates a RF-ID tag while another RF-ID tag reader simulates a tag reader, provides enhanced communication between terminals, particularly when the terminals are mobile deices.
What is needed in the art is a Bluetooth terminal having (1) shortened terminal discovery and user identification time via a connectionless connection to another terminal or access point using RF-ID, the terminal or access point establishing a session enabling the terminal to conduct transactions with an interactive service application, and (2) an advanced reader device for radio frequency (RF) identification which is at least adapted to communicate with a radio frequency identification transponder and which is able to provide radio frequency identification transponder functionality also during unpowered conditions.
Prior art related to short range communication systems and RF-ID includes:
1. PCT Publication WO01/39108 A1, published May 31, 2001, discloses a system that includes a mobile communication unit wherein a RF-ID identification module is added between the radio part and an antenna in a mobile telephone that includes a Bluetooth function. The module comprises a mixer for transposing identification messages from identification devices in a 2.45 GHz RF-ID system of the backscatter type to a baseband for further processing in a computer part of the unit. The unit may communicate with a super ordinate system, via a standard call channel or Bluetooth channel. The unit is also cabled to send information to the identification devices for alerting or transmitting data, wherein modulation and encoding can be effected in accordance with the Bluetooth standard enabling the mixer to be included as an integral part of a standard Bluetooth radio.
2. PCT Publication WO01/45038 A2, published Jun. 21, 2001, discloses a short-range communication system includes an interrogator, which interrogates multiple transponders located on a person and receives information separately from the transponders. The interrogator and/or the transponders may be held in an article of clothing or in personal effects of the person. The system enables the close worn by a person to communicate with a plurality of items and to obtain useful information. The network system may be configured so that any particular transponder may communicate with another transponder or a group of transponders of other locals to activate functions; cause action to otherwise shared data and/or information.
3. PCT Publication WO01/45319 A1, published Jun. 21, 2001, discloses a first short-range radio link operating within a first link range. The first link is between a stationary unit and a mobile communication device in a wireless network where the stationary unit transmits an interrogation signal to the communication device, via a short-range communication link operating within a second link range, essentially smaller than the first link range. The mobile communication device receives the interrogation signal from the stationary unit and transmits a response signal, including a unique identification number of the mobile communication device to the interrogation signal. The stationary unit receives the response signal and authenticates the identification number. The stationary unit and the mobile communication device establish a connection, via the first short-range radio link.
4. US Publication 20030114104, published Jun. 19, 2003 discloses a method and system for identifying when a first device is within a physical range of a second device, the second device is to establish substantive communications with. The method includes sensing which particular first device is within a physical range of the second device, and establishing substantive communications with the particular first device.
5. JP 2001-278495 2001-09-13, Application No. JP0209325 JP, Filed 20020912, entitled Information Processing Apparatus and Method A1 Published 20030327 discloses an information processing apparatus and method capable of easily and rapidly starting radio communication. When a cellular telephone is placed in the vicinity of a personal computer, a strap ID is provided from a non-contact IC tag of a cellular telephone strap to a reader/writer) of the personal computer. The personal computer has a table of correspondence between the strap ID and the Bluetooth device name of the cellular telephone. Upon acquisition of a strap ID, the personal computer references the correspondence table and identifies the cellular telephone as a communication partner of the Bluetooth communication. The personal computer identifies the cellular telephone by referencing the Bluetooth device name among a plurality of Bluetooth devices including the cellular telephone and performs Bluetooth communication with the cellular telephone.
None of the prior art discloses or suggests (1) a Bluetooth terminal having a RF-ID identification for establishing a connectionless communication with a service application and conducting transactions with the application on a session basis where the connection time and user identification time are shortened relative to the standard Bluetooth terminal discovery process for conducting sessions, and (2) a reader device included in or coupled to the terminal and adapted to operate in: (A) a reader operation mode and a transponder operation mode, the reader device supporting the near field communication (ECMA-340) standard; (B) a transponder mode or passive mode during periods of time, within which the reader is not energized and (C) operate automatically in a transponder operation mode during periods of time, within which the reader device is not energized.