Patent Application
20100197226
This invention generally relates to communication. More particularly, this invention relates to wireless communications.
Wireless communication systems are well known and in widespread use. Typical cellular communication arrangements include a plurality of base station transceivers strategically positioned to provide wireless communication coverage over selected geographic areas. A mobile station (e.g., notebook computer, personal digital assistant or cellular phone) communicates with a base station transceiver using an over-the-air interface. The communications from a mobile station to the base station are considered to be in an uplink direction and communications to the mobile station from the base station are in a downlink direction.
Wireless communication systems have become increasingly capable of servicing a wider variety of subscriber needs. For example, it is now possible for many mobile stations to be used for voice, data, Internet and messaging services. Mobile stations typically include two-way communication functionality (e.g., transmitting on an uplink and receiving on a downlink) for such services.
An exemplary mobile station has a transceiver portion configured to communicate over an uplink and a downlink. A detector portion is configured to detect a radio frequency tag.
An exemplary method of using a mobile station includes selectively conducting wireless communications over an uplink and a downlink. The mobile station is also selectively used to detect at least one radio frequency tag.
The various features and advantages of the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.
As schematically shown, the mobile stations 22, 24 and 26 communicate with the base station 28 over an uplink (from the mobile to the base station) and a downlink (from the base station to the mobile). The wireless communications in one example comprise at least one of voice or data transmissions on the uplink and the downlink. Each of the mobile stations 24, 26 and 28 comprises transceiver functionality for conducting the wireless communications with the base station 22.
At least the mobile station 24 also has a capability to detect at least one of a plurality of radio frequency tag (RFT) devices 30, 32 and 34. Known RFT devices and known techniques for detecting RFTS are used in one example. The illustrated example mobile station 24 is capable of detecting a plurality of radio frequency tags and provides a user with a variety of options for utilizing that capability.
In many cases, detecting RFTS involves only signal detection or reception at the mobile station. In such examples, the RFT detecting functionality is distinct from other wireless communications that require two-way (i.e., uplink and downlink) signaling between the mobile station and another device. In some examples, a RFT may respond to an inquiry or trigger signal received from a mobile station as part of the detection process. In such a case, two-way communications are used by the mobile station for effective RFT tracking or detection.
For example, the mobile station 24 includes an antenna 44, a display 46 that is also a user-interface touch screen in this example, a battery 48 and a speaker 50. In one example, the detector portion 42 and the transceiver portion 40 each rely upon those components for corresponding portions of their operations as needed. For example, the transceiver portion 40 operates based upon signals transmitted from and received by the antenna 44 and the detector portion 42 utilizes RFT signals detected through the antenna 44. The battery 48 is the single power source for both portions 40 and 42. The display and user interface 46 allows a user to control use of the transceiver portion 40 and the detector portion 42, respectively. The speaker 50 allows a user to hear received wireless communications and to hear indications regarding detection or attempted detection of an RFT.
Using common components of the mobile station 24 for the functionality of the detector portion 42 and the transceiver portion 40 in one example includes having at least some software, firmware or both selectively used by both portions 42 and 40. In one such example, the detector portion 42 and the transceiver portion are at least partially realized as part of the same processor associated with the software that provides the respective functionalities.
For example, the components used to allow the transceiver portion 40 to receive signals on a downlink to the mobile station 24 and to process such received signals are also used to allow the detector portion 42 to receive RFT signals and to process them for detecting a RFT. The same components used to allow a user to indicate a desire to place or accept a wireless communication call are also used to allow the user to control whether a particular RFT is monitored. Given this description, those skilled in the art will realize how to integrate or separate the functionalities of the transceiver portion 40 and the detector portion 42.
One example includes allowing a user to predetermine an identity for each RFT of interest to that user and the mobile station 24 provides that information as appropriate. For example, the mobile station 24 in
The illustrated example includes a determination at 60 whether any known RFT previously identified by the user (and for which corresponding information has been input by the user so that it has been provided to the detector portion 42) is not currently detectable.
At 62, a user input is received (or a timer expires waiting for user input) to determine which, if any, of the known or detected RFTS should be monitored. This allows a user, for example, to indicate a desire to only monitor whether the daughter's RFT 30 is within a detectable range while ignoring the pet's RFT 32 and the RFT 34.
When at least one RFT should be monitored, the detector portion 42 at least periodically attempts to detect the selected RFT at 64. Periodic checks for detecting the RFT are used in one example while continuous monitoring is used in another example. Whenever any such RFT is not detected (or is detected at a range that is outside of an acceptable range), it is presumed to be cause for concern and the user of the mobile station is notified at 66 with an audible indication using the speaker 50, a visible indication on the display 46 or both. In one example, an increasingly noticeable indication is provided at 68. This may be until a highest indication level is reached or a user response to the indication is input into the mobile station 24 (using the user interface 46, for example). This feature allows for providing a user with an increased sense of reason for concern that a RFT is outside of a desired range of the mobile station 24, for example. In one example, once a currently monitored RFT becomes undetectable (e.g., out of range), a first indication is provided for a selected time. Once that time expires, an increased (e.g., louder) indication is provided. In one example, a more noticeable indication is provided as the distance between a monitored RFT and the mobile station 24 increases.
One example provides a user with the ability to customize the type of indication and the manner in which the indication is provided. One example includes providing a user with the ability to customize the range used for detection or to specify times during which a particular RFT should be monitored according to a selected schedule. Other user options in one example include an ability to stop monitoring a selected RFT or to set a monitor timer after which monitoring automatically stops.
One feature of the illustrated example is that it allows an individual having a mobile station for wireless communications to be able to track RFTS with the same device. This allows for RFT tracking without requiring a separate RFT monitoring device to be carried about by a user. Instead, the mobile station with RFT detector capabilities also provides a variety of wireless communication capabilities. As indicated above many of the components of the mobile station used for RFT detection and tracking can be the same as those used for wireless communications.
The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this invention. The scope of legal protection given to this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.
