GB2516719A

GB2516719A - Wireless chip module embedding NFC function, electronic price display terminal and method for operating wireless chip module embedding NFC function

Info

Publication number: GB2516719A
Application number: GB1406309.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tah Joon Park
Original assignee: Samsung Electro Mechanics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electro Mechanics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2013-07-30
Filing date: 2014-04-08
Publication date: 2015-02-04
Anticipated expiration: 2034-04-08
Also published as: KR20150014692A; GB2516719B; GB201406309D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a wireless chip module 100 embedding a Near Field Communication (NFC) function. According to an embodiment, the wireless chip module includes: a sleep mode block 10 which is always operated by receiving power, the sleep mode block receives an RF signal, and wakes up a tag block 30 when detecting an RF signal; the tag block wakes up from a sleep mode state according to a first internal wake-up signal of the sleep mode block, then determines whether the RF signal detected by the sleep mode block is an NFC signal or a network wake-up signal, the tag block performs NFC mode operation when the detected RF signal is the NFC signal; and a main block 50 that wakes up from a sleep mode state according to a second internal wake-up signal and performs communication according to the network wake-up signal when the detected RF signal is the network wake-up signal. Independent claims are also included for an electronic price display terminal and a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function. The main block could be woken up on the basis of whether the RF signal contains an ID of the chip module S200'. The invention could find application in an electronic shelf label system (ESL). One of the aims of the invention is to reduce power consumption.

Description

WIRELESS CHIP MODULE EMBEDDING NFC FUNCTION, ELECTRONIC PRICE DISPLAY

TERMINALAND METHOD FOR OPERATING WIRELESS CHIP MODULE EMBEDDING NEC

FUNCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless chip module embedding an NFC (near field communication) function, an electronic price display terminal, and a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function, and more particularly, to a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function, an electronic price display terminal, and a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NEC function that can reduce power consumption by operating a power supply by function blocks of the chip module.

2. Description of the Related Art

[0002] With the activation of electronic shelf label (ESL) systems in retail stores, various additional functions are required. Particularly, with the popularization of smartphones, there is an increasing desire to acquire detailed information about products in the stores by the smartphone and determine whether to buy the products based on the acquired information.

Accordingly, there is an effort to acquire information about products through a wireless internet network by embedding an RFID (radio-frequency identification tag in an electronic price display terminal or an ESL terminal to recognize the tag by NFC of the smartphone.

[00031 In the prior art, an RFID communication tag is separately attached to the electronic price display terminal to implement communication with the NEC of the smartphone. The REID tag communicates with the NEC of the smartphone. At this time, the REID tag operates independently of the existing semiconductor chips in the electronic price display terminal or the ESL terminal.

[0004] Since the ESL terminal or the electronic price display terminal is operated mainly by a battery, it is mostly in a sleep mode, that is, in a low power mode in which most of the functions are in OFF state. At this time, when a wake-up terminal, such as a sink or a gateway of the ESL system, transmits a wake-up RE signal, the ESLterminal or the electronic price display terminal wakes up from a sleep mode to perform communication and/or price update.

I

[0005] In the conventional method as above, since the basically active RFID tag always consumes power, the REID tag separately attached to the ESL terminal should use a separate battery or use a battery of the ESL terminal in common. However, when using a battery in common, power consumption is increased. Further, the attachment of the separate RFID tag causes price rise and there is a limit to provide additional services due to no direct communication between the smartphone and the electronic price display terminal.

[0006] This problem can be similarly applied to another terminal having its own battery that operates in a wake-up manner.

[Related Art Document] [Patent Document] Patent Document 1: Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2006-0009854 (laid open on February 1, 2006) Patent Document 2: Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1148768 (published on May 24, 2012) Patent Document 3: U.S. Patent Publication No. US 6,816,063 B2 (registered on November 9, 2004)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention has been invented in order to overcome the above-described problems and it is, therefore, an object of at least a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a technology that can minimize power consumption by embedding an REID tag function of NFC in the existing wireless chip to allow an RFID tag to perform sufficient communication with NEC of a smartphone and allow a chip module to distinguish a wake-up RF signal and an NFC signal to operate the chip module by function blocks.

[0008] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless chip module embedding an NEC function including: a sleep mode block arranged to be always operated by receiving power, the sleep mode block being arranged to receive an RF signal, and to wake up a tag block when detecting the RE signal by sending a first internal wake up signal; the tag block being arranged to wake up from a sleep mode state according to the first internal wake-up signal of the sleep mode block, to determine whether the RE signal detected by the sleep mode block is an NEC signal or a network wake-up signal, and to perform NFC mode operation when the detected RE signal is the NFC signal; and a main block being arranged to wake up from a sleep mode state according to a second internal wake-up signal and toperform communication according to the network wake-up signal when the detected RE signal is the network wake-up signal.

[00091 In an example, the tag block may be arranged to enter the sleep mode after performing a simple NEC tag function when data packet transmission for the NFC signal is not needed and be arranged to enter the sleep mode after waking up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal when the data packet transmission is needed, in performing the NEC mode operation, and the main block, woken up according to the second internal wake-up signal, may be arranged to enter the sleep mode after performing the communication according to each of the network wake-up signal and the NEC signal.

100101 Further, in an example, the tag block may be arranged to determine whether the RE signal includes at least one of ID information, data information and command information, to determine the RE signal as the network wake-up signal when the ID information is included or the data and command information is not included, and to determine the RE signal as the NEC signal when the data or command information is included or the ID information is not included.

LOOll] In another example, the tag block may be arranged to determine whether the RE signal is the network wake-up signal by determining whether the RE signal includes the ID information, wake up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal when the ID information is identical to its own ID by checking the ID information and output the network wake-up signal to the main block.

[0012] Further, in an example, the sleep mode block may include an RE detector for detecting the RF signal to output the detected RE signal to the tag block; a wake-up signal generator for generating the first internal wake-up signal to output the first internal wake-up signal to the tag block according to the detection of the RF signal; and an RF modulator for receiving the signal according to the execution of the simple NFC tag function to modulate the received signal corresponding to an RE output and output the modulated signal.

[0013] In another example, the tag block may include a demodulator for demodulating the RF signal by receiving the RF signal from the sleep mode block; a controller for determining H whether the demodulated RE signal is the NEC signal or the network wake-up signal, controlling the NEC mode operation when the demodulated RE signal is the NEC signal, and outputting the second internal wake-up signal and the network wake-up signal to the main block when the demodulated RF signal is the network wake-up signal; and a modulator for modulating the signal according to the execution of the simple NFC tag function according to the control of the NFC mode operation by the controller to output the modulated signal to the sleep mode block.

[0014] In another example, the controller may be arranged to determine whether the demodulated RE signal is the NFC signal or the network wake-up signal by determining whether the demodulated RF signal includes at least one of the ID information, data information and command information. At this time, the controller may be arranged to wake up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal and output the network wake-up signal including the ID information to the main block when the ID information is identical to its own ID by checking the ID information in case that the ID information is included in the RF signal and control the modulator to perform modulation when the data packet transmission for the NEC signal is not needed and output the second internal wake-up signal and the NFC signal to the main block when the data packet transmission is needed while controlling the NEC mode operation by determining the demodulated RF signal as the NEC signal when the data or command information is included in the RF signal or the ID information is not included in the RE signal.

Further, the controller may enter the tag block into the sleep mode after performing modulation by the modulator or outputting the signal to the main block.

[0015] In another example, the main block may include an MCU (microcontroller unit) for processing the network wake-up signal received from the tag block and controlling the communication according to the network wake-up signal; a transceiver for performing communication with the outside according to the control of the MCU; and a memory for storing various pieces of information.

[0016] In accordance with another example, the NEC signal and the network wake-up signal may be the same frequency band signal.

[0017] In another example, the same frequency may be a 13.5 MHz band signal.

[0018] In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic price display terminal used in an electronic shelf label (ESL) system, including: a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to one of the above-described first aspects of the present invention; a first antenna for receiving the RF signal to provide the received RF signal to the sleep mode block; a second antenna for transceiving a communication signal according to communication in the main block; and a power module for supplying power to the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function.

[0019] In an example, an NEC signal and a network wake-up signal may be the same frequency band signal. Further, in another example, the same frequency may be a 13.5 MHz band signal.

[0020] Next, in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function including a sleep mode block which always operates and a tag block and a main block which operate during wake up, including the steps of: using the sleep mode block, detecting a received RE signal and waking up the tag block in a sleep mode state by a first internal wake-up signal and transmitting the RF signal when the RF signal is detected; using the tag block, determining whether the RF signal is an NEC signal or a network wake-up signal, performing NFC mode operation when the RE signal is the NEC signal, and waking up the main block from a sleep mode state by a second internal wake-up signal when the RF signal is the network wake-up signal and transmitting the network wake-up signal; and using the main block, performing communication according to the network wake-up signal.

[00211 In an example, in performing the NEC mode operation, the tag block may enter the sleep mode after performing a simple NFC tag function when data packet transmission for the NFC signal is not needed and enter the sleep mode after waking up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal when the data packet transmission is needed and transmitting the NFC signal, which requires the data packet transmission, to the main block, and when performing the communication, the main block may enter the sleep mode after performing the communication according to each of the network wake-up signal and the NFC signal.

[0022] Further, in an example, in determining whether the RE signal is the NFC signal or the network wake-up signal, the tag block may determine whether the RF signal includes at least one of ID information, data information and command information, determine the RE signal as the network wake-up signal when the ID information is included or the data and command information is not included and determine the RE signal as the NFC signal when the data or command information is included or the ID information is not included.

[0023] In another example, in transmitting the network wake-up signal, the tag block may determine whether the RE signal is the network wake-up signal by determining whether the RF signal includes the ID information, and wake up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal when the ID information is identical to its own ID by checking the ID information and output the network wake-up signal to the main block.

[0024] Further, according to an example, the NFC signal and the network wake-up signal may be the same frequency band signal. Further, in another example, the same frequency may be a 13.5 MHz band signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, which are provided by way of example only, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: [00261 FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an electronic price display terminal including a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; f0027] FIG 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an electronic price display terminal including a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; (0028] FIG. 3 is a flowchart schematically showing a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; [0029] FIG. 4a is a flowchart schematically showing a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and [00301 FIG. 4b is a flowchart schematically showing the method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERABLE EMBODIMENTS

(0031] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this description, the same elements are represented by the same reference numerals, and additional description which is repeated or limits interpretation of the meaning of the invention may be omitted.

[0032] In this specification, when an element is referred to as being "connected or coupled to" or "disposed in" another element, it can be "directly" connected or coupled to or "directly" disposed in the other element or connected or coupled to or disposed in the other element with another element interposed therebetween, unless it is referred to as being "directly coupled or connected to" or "directly disposed in" the other element.

(0033] Although the singular form is used in this specification, it should be noted that the singular form can be used as the concept representing the plural form unless being contradictory to the concept of the invention or clearly interpreted otherwise. It should be understood that the terms such as "having", "including", and comprising" used herein do not preclude existence or addition of one or more other elements or combination thereof.

[0034] First, a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. At this time, the reference numeral that is not mentioned in the reference drawing may be the reference numeral that represents the same element in another drawing.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an electronic price display terminal including a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an electronic price display terminal 100 including a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1 or/and 2, a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with an example includes a sleep mode block 10, a tag block 30, and a main block H 50. At this time, the sleep mode block 10 always operates, including when in a sleep mode, by receiving power. On the other hand, the tag block 30 and the main block 50 operate after waking up from a sleep mode state.

[0037] First, referring to FIGS. 1 or/and 2, the sleep mode block 10 receives an RE signal.

For example, the sleep mode block 10 receives the RF signal through a first antenna 1 of an electronic price display terminal including a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function.

The received RF signal may be a near field communication (NFC) signal or a network wake-up signal. The NFC signal is a kind of local RFID signal used in mobile terminals etc, and the network wake-up signal is a wake-up signal transmitted from a sink or a gateway (not shown) for wake-up of an end terminal, for example, an electronic price display terminal in a wireless network such as an electronic shelf label (ESL) system including an electronic price display terminal.

(0038] In an example, the NFC signal and the network wake-up signal may be the same frequency band signal. For example, the same frequency may be a 13.5 MHz band signal.

[0039] The sleep mode block 10 detects the received RE signal. The sleep mode block 10, which is a block always in an ON state, for example, is a block that waits in an ON state even during a sleep mode that is a waiting period until a device with the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function receives a network wake-up signal from a wireless network. The sleep mode block 10 continuously monitors in an ON state whether there is a network wake-up signal or an NFC signal. The sleep mode block 10 wakes up the tag block 30 from a sleep mode state when detecting the RE signal. That is, the tag block 30 in a sleep mode wakes up according to a first internal wake-up signal of the sleep mode block 10.

(0040] Eor example, referring to FIG. 2, the sleep mode block 10 may include an RE detector 11, a wake-up signal generator 13, and an RE modulator 15. In FIG. 2, the RF detector 11 of the sleep mode block 10 detects the RE signal and outputs the detected RE signal to the tag block 30. Eor example, the RF detector 11 detects the RE signal received from the first antenna I of the electronic price display terminal. At this time, the wake-up signal generator 13 generates the first internal wake-up signal according to the detection of the RE signal by the RE detector 11 and outputs the first internal wake-up signal to the tag block 30.

(00411 Further, the RE modulator 15 of the sleep mode block 10 receives the signal according to the performance of a simple NFC tag function by the tag block 30 and modulates the received signal, according to an RE output, to output the modulated signal. The RF H modulator 15 receives the signal according to the execution of the simple NFC tag function by the tag block 30 and modulates the received signal according to the RE output when the tag block 30 performs the simple NFC tag function as a result of determining the RF signal, for example, when data packet transmission for the NEC signal is not needed.

(0042] Further, referring to FIG. 2, the sleep mode block 10 may further include a low-frequency 080 (oscillator) 17. The low-frequency OSC 17, which is an oscillator operating in the sleep mode block 10, has lower power consumption than a high-frequency OSC 37 of the tag block 30. The low1requency OSC 17 operates with low frequency of several tens of KHz and with low current of several hundreds of nA and is used as a clock of the sleep mode block 10. For example, when receiving a network wake-up signal from the outside, the low-frequency OSC 17 is used as the clock of the sleep mode block 10 and provides a clock so that the tag block 30 woken up according to the first internal wake-up signal, wakes up the main block 50 by a second internal wake-up signal. Further, for example, the low-frequency OSC 17 may wake up the main block 50 periodically by its own timer apart from being used as the clock of the low power sleep mode block 10.

[0043] Next, the tag block 30 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. I or/and 2.

The tag block 30 wakes up from a sleep mode state according to the first internal wake-up signal of the sleep mode block 10. That is, the tag block 30 doesn't operate in a sleep mode state to have no power consumption and wakes up according to the first internal wake-up signal of the sleep mode block 10 to consume power according to the execution of the operation. At this time, the first internal wake-up signal, which is a signal for waking up the tag block 30 in the wireless chip module embedding an NEC function, is distinguished from the network wake-up signal.

[0044] At this time, the woken-up tag block 30 receives the RF signal detected by the sleep mode block 10 and determines whether the received RF signal is an NEC signal or a network wake-up signal. For example, according to the determination of the RF signal, the tag block 30 performs NFC mode operation when the RF signal is the NFC signal. Further, the tag block 30 wakes up the main block 50 from a sleep mode state when the RE signal is the network wake-up signal, specifically when the RF signal is the suitable network wake-up signal.

[0045] For example, describing with reference to FIG. 2, the tag block 30 may include a demodulator 31 and a controller 33. Further, referring to FIG. 2, the tag block 30 may further include a modulator 35. In FIG. 2, the demodulator 31 of the tag block 30 receives the RF signal from the sleep mode block 10, specifically from the RF detector 11 to demodulate the received RE signal. The demodulator 31 demodulates the RE signal to determine by the controller 33 whether the RF signal is the NFC signal or the network wake-up signal.

[0046] At this time, the controller 33 determines whether the RE signal demodulated by the demodulator 31 is the NEC signal or the network wake-up signal. The controller 33 controls the NEC mode operation when the RE signal is the NEC signal and outputs the second internal wake-up signal and the network wake-up signal to the main block 50 when the RE signal is the network wake-up signal.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 2, the modulator 35 of the tag block 30 modulates the signal according to the execution of the simple NFC tag function according to the control on the NEC mode operation by the controller 33 to output the modulated signal to the sleep mode block 10.

At this time, when only the simple NEC tag function is performed as a result of determination of the controller 33, for example, when the data packet transmission for the NFC signal is not needed, the modulator 35 modulates the signal according to the execution of the simple NEC tag function according to the control of the controller 33 to output the modulated signal. For example, when an external NFC reader (not shown), for example, a smartphone etc. does not request information from an NFC tag, the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to the present embodiment, the tag block 30 simply transmits only a tag ID to the external NFC reader and does not wake up the main block 30 to minimize power consumption.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 2, the tag block 30 may further include the high-frequency OSC 37.

The high-frequency OSC 37 may operate at several MHz to sufficiently modulate and demodulate the NEC signal.

[0049] Next, the process of determining the RE signal will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4a, and 4b. For example, the process of determining the RF signal may be performed by the controller 33 of the tag block 30. For example, the tag block 30, specifically the controller 33 may determine whether the RF signal is the NFC signal or the network wake-up signal by determining whether the RF signal includes at least one of ID information, data information and command information. For example, the controller 33 may determine whether the RF signal is the NFC signal or the network wake-up signal by whether the ID information is included or determine whether the RF signal is the NFC signal or the network wake-up signal by whether the data or/and command information is included.

Otherwise, the controller 33 may determine the RF signal as the network wake-up signal when the ID information is included and determine the RE signal as the NFC signal when the data or/and command information is included. For example, the tag block 30 may determine whether the ID information is included by reading information included in a preamble frame of a packet of the RF signal and determine whether the data information or the command information is included from the size of the packet of the RF signal or the information included in the preamble frame. In summary, the tag block 30, specifically the controller 33 may determine the RF signal as the network wake-up signal when the ID information is included or the data and command H information is not included. Further, the tag block 30, specifically the controller 33 may determine the RF signal as the NEC signal when the data or command information is included or the ID information is not included.

[0050] In an example, the tag block 30, specifically the controller 33 of the tag block 30 may determine whether the RF signal is the network wake-up signal by determining whether the ID information is included in the RF signal. That is, the RF signal may be determined as the network wake-up signal when the ID information is included in the RF signal. The tag block 30, for example, the controller 33 may check the ID included in the RF signal to determine whether the ID is identical to its own ID, that is, an ID of the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function or an ID of the electronic price display terminal. When the ID is identical to its own ID, the tag block 30, for example, the controller 33 wakes up the main block 50 by the second internal wake-up signal and outputs the network wake-up signal including the ID information to the main block 50.

[00511 Meanwhile, according to the determination of the RE signal, the tag block 30 performs the NEC mode operation when the RF signal is the NFC signal. For example, the controller 33 of the tag block 30 may control the NFC mode operation by determining the RF signal as the NEC signal when the data or command information is included in the RF signal or the ID information is not included in the RE signal. At this time, the tag block 30 enters a sleep mode after performing the simple NFC tag function when the data packet transmission for the NFC signal is not needed in performing the NEC mode operation. For example, the controller 33 controls the modulator 35 to perform modulation when the data packet transmission for the NEC signal is not needed. Further, the tag block 30 enters a sleep mode after waking up the main block 50 by the second internal wake-up signal when the data packet transmission for the NEC signal is needed. That is, the controller 33 may output the second internal wake-up signal and the NFC signal to the main block 50 when the data packet transmission for the NEC signal is needed.

[0052] For example, the controller 33 may enter the tag block 30 into a sleep mode after performing the modulation by the modulator 35 or outputting the signal to the main block 50.

[0053] Next, the main block 50 of the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function will be specifically described with reference to EIGS. 1 or/and 2. The main block 50 wakes up from a sleep mode state according to the second internal wake-up signal. The woken-up main block receives the network wake-up signal from the tag block 30. The main block 50, which received the network wake-up signal from the tag block 30, performs communication according to the network wake-up signal.

[0054] For example, the main block 50, which is woken up according to the second internal wake-up signal, enters a sleep mode after performing communication according to each of the network wake-up signal and the NEC signal.

[00551 Referring to FIG. 2, in an example, the main block 50 may include an MCU 51, a transceiver 53, and a memory 55. The MCU 51 of the main block 50 processes the network wake-up signal received from the tag block 30 and controls the communication according to the network wake-up signal. Further, the transceiver 53 performs communication with the outside according to the control of the MCU 51. For example, the transceiver 53 may perform communication according to each of the network wake-up signal and the NEC signal. For example, the MCIJ 51 may enter the main block 50 into a sleep mode state after the communication according to each of the network wake-up signal and the NFC signal is performed by the transceiver 53. Further, the memory 55 of the main block 50 stores various pieces of information necessary for communication.

[0056] Further, referring to FIG. 2, the main block 50 may further include a regulator 57. The regulator 57 makes the voltage used in the MCU 51, the transceiver 53, and the memory 55 constant.

[0057] For example, the low-frequency OSC 17 of the sleep mode block 10 may wake up the main block 50 periodically by its own timer. In this case, the main block 50 may wake up according to the internal wake-up signal periodically transmitted by the timer of the low-frequency OSC 17 apart from waking up according to the second internal wake-up signal by the tag block 40 according to the reception of the network wake-up signal from the outside or the reception of the NFC signal when the data packet transmission for the NEC signal is needed.

For example, the case in which the main block 50 wakes up periodically by the low-frequency OSC 17 may be applied to the case in which the main block 50 wakes up periodically by the timer of the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Next, an electronic price display terminal in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention will be specifically described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings. At this time, the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with the above-described embodiments of the first aspect will be referenced. Thus, repeated

descriptions may be omitted.

[0059] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an electronic price display terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an electronic price display terminal in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

L0060] Referring to FIGS. 1 or/and 2, an electronic price display terminal in accordance with an example is an electronic price display terminal used in an electronic shelf label (ESL) system.

At this time, the electronic price display terminal includes a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function, a first antenna 1, a second antenna 3, and a power module (not shown).

[00611 The wireless chip module embedding an NEC function was described in the above-described embodiments according to the first aspect of the present invention. For example, the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function includes a sleep mode block 10, a tag block 30, and a main block 50. The sleep mode block 10 always operates including a sleep mode by receiving power. On the other hand, the tag block 30 and the main block 50 operate after waking up from a sleep mode state. The sleep mode block 10 wakes up the tag block 30 when detecting an RF signal. The tag block 30 wakes up according to a first internal wake-up signal of the sleep mode block 10. The woken-up tag block 30 determines whether the RF signal detected by the sleep mode block 10 is an NFC signal or a network wake-up signal. At this time, the tag block 30 performs NFC mode operation when the RE signal is the NFC signal and wakes up the main block 50 by a second internal wake-up signal and transmits a network wake-up signal to the main block 50 when the RF signal is the network wake-up signal, for example, the suitable network wake-up signal. The main block 50 wakes up according to the second internal wake-up signal to perform communication according to the network wake-up signal received from the tag block 30.

[0062] Descriptions of the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in the embodiments according to the second aspect of the present invention overlap with those of the above-described embodiments according to the first aspect of the present invention. Thus, detailed descriptions of the above-described embodiments will be referenced even though detailed descriptions according to the present embodiment are omitted.

L0063J In an example, the RF signal detected by the sleep mode block 10, that is, the NFC signal and the network wake-up signal may be the same frequency band signal. For example, in another example, the same frequency may be a 13.5 Ml-lz band signal.

[0064] Referring to FIGS. 1 or/and 2, the first antenna 1, the second antenna, and the power module of the electronic price display terminal will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 or/and 2. The first antenna 1 receives the RE signal to provide the received RF signal to the sleep mode block 10 of the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function. The second antenna transmits and receives a communication signal according to the communication in the main block 50 of the wireless chip module embedding an NEC function. Further, although not shown, the power module supplies power to the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function. For example, the power module may be a battery.

[0065] Next, a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. At this time, the wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with the above-described embodiments of the first aspect and FIGS. 1 and 2 will be H referenced. Thus, repeated descriptions may be omitted.

(0066] FIG. 3 is a flowchart schematically showing a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NEC function in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4a is a flowchart schematically showing a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4b is a flowchart schematically showing the method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4a, or/and 4b, a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to an example relates to a method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NEC function which includes a sleep mode block 10 which always operates, and a tag block 30 and a main block 50 which operate during wake up. At this time, the method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function may include the steps of transmitting an RF signal by the sleep mode block 10 (5100), determining the RF signal and transmitting the signal by the tag block 30 (S200, S200', 5300, 5300'), and performing communication by the main block 50 (5400, 3400').

(0068] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4a, or/and 4b, in the step (3100) of transmitting the RF signal by the sleep mode block 10, the sleep mode block 10 detects the received RF signal. At this time, the sleep mode block 10 wakes up the tag block 30 in a sleep mode by a first internal wake-up signal and transmits the RF signal when the RF signal is detected.

[0069] For example, the received RF signals in the step (S100) of transmitting the RF signal by the sleep mode block 10, for example, an NFC signal and a network wake-up signal may be the same frequency band signal. At this time, in an example, the same frequency may be a 13.5 MHz band signal.

(0070] Next, the steps (S200, S200', S300, 3300') of determining the RF signal and transmitting the signal by the tag block 30 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4a or/and 4b. In the steps (5200, 5200', 5300, 5300') of determining the RF signal and transmitting the signal by the tag block 30, the tag block 30 determines whether the RF signal is an NEC signal or a network wake-up signal (3200, S200'). At this time, the tag block 30 performs NEC mode operation (5310) when the RF signal is the NEC signal, and the tag block wakes up the main block 50 in a sleep mode by a second internal wake-up signal (5330) and transmits a network wake-up signal (5300, S300') when the RF signal is the network wake-up signal.

[0071] For example, referring to FIGS. 4a or/and 4b, in the step (S200') of determining the RF signal by the tag block 30, the tag block 30 determines whether the RF signal is the NFC signal or the network wake-up signal. At this time, the tag block 30 determines whether the RE signal is the NEC signal or the network wake-up signal (S200') by determining whether the RE signal includes at least one of ID information, data information and command information. At this time, the tag block 30 may determine the RF signal as the network wake-up signal when the ID information is included or the data and command information is not included1 and the tag block 30 may determine the RE signal as the NEC signal when the data or command information is included or the ID information is not included (5200').

[0072] Referring to FIGS. 4a or/and 4b, in an example, in the step (S200') of determining the RE signal by the tag block 30, the tag block 30 may determine whether the RF signal is the network wake-up signal by determining whether the ID information is included in the RE signal.

Eurther, at this time, the tag block 30 may wake up the main block 50 by the second internal wake-up signal (5330) and output the network wake-up signal to the main block 50 in the step (S300, S300') of transmitting the signal by the tag block 30 when the ID included in the RF signal is identical to its own ID. * [0073] Next, referring to FIGS. 3, 4a, or/and 4b, according to an example, the NEC mode operation is performed (S310, S320) when the RF signal is determined as the NFC signal in the step (S200, S200') of determining the RF signal by the tag block 30. At this time, in performing the NFC mode operation, the tag block 30 performs a simple NEC tag function (3310) when data packet transmission for the NFC signal is not needed. After that, the tag block 30 may enter a sleep mode. Meanwhile, when the data packet transmission for the NEC signal is needed, the tag block 30 wakes up the main block 50 by the second internal wake-up signal (3320). At this time, the tag block 30 wakes up the main block 50 and transmits the NEC signal, H which requires the data packet transmission, to the main block 50. After that, the tag block H enters a sleep mode.

(0074] Next, referring to FIGS. 3, 4a, or/and 4b, in the step (3400, 3400') of performing the communication by the main block 50, the main block 50 performs the communication according to the network wake-up signal (S400). Referring to FIGS. 3, 4a, or/and 4b, in an example, in the step (S400, 3400') of performing the communication by the main block 50, the main block 50 performs the communication according to the network wake-up signal (3400) or performs the communication according to each of the network wake-up signal and the NFC signal (5400, 5400'). For example, the main block 50 may enter a sleep mode after performing the communication according to the network wake-up signal or performing the communication according to each of the network wake-up signal and the NFC signal.

[0075] According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to minimize power consumption by embedding an RFID tag function of NFC in the existing wireless chip to allow an RFID tag to perform sufficient communication with NFC of a smartphone and allowing a chip module to distinguish a wake-up RF signal and an NFC signal to operate the chip module by function blocks.

[0076] Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce costs and provide efficient services compared to the case of adding a separate RFID tag chip.

For example, it is possible to perform various additional services by recognizing an NFC signal through a microcomputer in a wireless chip.

[0077] It is apparent that various effects which have not been directly mentioned according to the various embodiments of the present invention can be derived by those skilled in the art from various constructions according to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0078] The above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings are provided as examples to help understanding of those skilled in the art, not limiting the scope of the present invention. Further, embodiments according to various combinations of the above-described components will be apparently implemented from the foregoing specific descriptions by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in different forms in a range without departing from the scope of the present invention defined by the claims. It is to be understood that the present invention includes various modifications, substitutions, and equivalents by those skilled in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A wireless chip module embedding an NFC function, comprising: a sleep mode block arranged to be always operated by receiving power, the sleep mode block being arranged to receive an RF signal, and to wake up a tag block when detecting the RF signal by sending a first internal wake up signal; the tag block being arranged to wake up from a sleep mode state according to the first internal wake-up signal of the sleep mode block, to determine whether the RF signal detected by the sleep mode block is an NFC signal or a network wake-up signal, and to perform NFC mode operation when the detected RF signal is the NEC signal; and a main block arranged to wake up from a sleep mode state according to a second internal wake-up signal and to perform communication according to the network wake-up signal when the detected RE signal is the network wake-up signal.
2. The wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to claim 1, wherein the tag block is arranged to enter the sleep mode after performing a simple NFC tag function when data packet transmission for the NEC signal is not needed and arranged to enter the sleep mode after waking up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal when the data packet transmission is needed, in performing the NEC mode operation, and the main block woken up according to the second internal wake-up signal being arranged to enter the sleep mode after performing the communication according to each of the network wake-up signal and the NFC signal.
3. The wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to claim I or 2, wherein the tag block is arranged to determine whether the RE signal includes at least one of ID information, data information and command information, to determine the RF signal as the network wake-up signal when the ID information is included or the data and command information is not included, and to determine the RE signal as the NEC signal when the data or command information is included or the ID information is not included.
4. The wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to claim 3, wherein the tag block is arranged to determine whether the RF signal is the network wake-up signal by determining whether the RF signal includes the ID information, wake up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal when the ID information is identical to its own ID by checking the ID information and output the network wake-up signal to the main block.
5. The wireless chip module embedding an NEC function according to any preceding claim, wherein the sleep mode block comprises: an RF detector for detecting the RF signal to output the detected RE signal to the tag block; a wake-up signal generator for generating the first internal wake-up signal to output the first internal wake-up signal to the tag block according to the detection of the RF signal; and an RF modulator for receiving the signal according to the performance of a simple NFC tag function to modulate the received signal corresponding to an RE output and output the modulated signal.
6. The wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to any preceding claim, wherein the tag block comprises: a demodulator for demodulating the RF signal by receiving the RF signal from the sleep mode block; a controller for determining whether the demodulated RF signal is the NEC signal or the network wake-up signal, controlling the NFC mode operation when the demodulated RF signal is the NEC signal, and outputting the second internal wake-up signal and the network wake-up signal to the main block when the demodulated RF signal is the network wake-up signal; and a modulator for modulating the signal according to the performance of a simple NEC tag function by the control of the NFC mode operation by the controller to output the modulated signal to the sleep mode block.
7. The wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to claim 6, wherein the controller is arranged to determine whether the demodulated RF signal is the NEC signal or the network wake-up signal by determining whether the demodulated RF signal includes at least one of ID information, data information and command information, wake up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal and output the network wake-up signal including the ID information to the main block when the ID information is identical to its own ID by checking the ID information in the case that the ID information is included in the RE signal, control the NFC mode operation by determining the demodulated RF signal as the NEC signal when the data or command information is included in the RF signal or the ID information is not included in the RE signal, control the modulator to perform the modulation when data packet transmission for the NFC signal is not needed, and output the second internal wake-up signal and the NEC signal to the main block when the data packet transmission is needed, and enter the tag block into the sleep mode after performing the modulation by the modulator or outputting the signal to the main block.
8. The wireiess chip module embedding an NEC function according to any preceding claim, wherein the main block comprises: an MCU for processing the network wake-up signal received from the tag block and controlling the communication according to the network wake-up signal; a transceiver for performing communication with the outside according to the control of the MCU; and a memory for storing various pieces of information.
9. The wireless chip module enibedding an NEC function according to any preceding claim, wherein the NEC signal and the network wake-up signal are the same frequency band signal.
10. The wireless chip module embedding an NEC function according to claim 9, wherein the same frequency is a 13.5 MHz band signal.
11. An electronic price display terminal used in an electronic shelf label (ESL) system, comprising: a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to any of claims ito 8; a first antenna for receiving the RF signal to provide the received RE signal to the sleep mode block; a second antenna for transceiving a communication signal according to communication in the main block; and a power module for supplying power to the wireless chip module embedding an NEC function.
12. The electronic price display terminal according to claim 11, wherein an NFC signal and a network wake-up signal are the same frequency band signal.
13. The electronic price display terminal according to claim 12, wherein the same frequency is a 13.5 MHz band signal.
14. A method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function comprising a sleep mode block which always operates and a tag block and a main block which operate during wake up, comprising: using the sleep mode block, detecting a received RF signal and waking up the tag block in a sleep mode state by a first internal wake-up signal and transmitting the RF signal when the RF signal is detected; in the tag block, determining whether the RF signal is an NFC signal or a network wake-up signal, performing NFC mode operation when the RE signal is the NEC signal, and waking up the main block from a sleep mode state by a second internal wake-up signal when the RF signal is the network wake-up signal and transmitting the network wake-up signal; and using the main block, performing communication according to the network wake-up signal.
15. The method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NEC function according to claim 14, wherein in performing the NFC mode operation, the tag block enters the sleep mode after performing a simple NEC tag function when data packet transmission for the NFC signal is not needed and enters the sleep mode after waking up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal when the data packet transmission is needed and transmitting the NEC signal, which requires the data packet transmission, to the main block, and when performing the communication, the main block enters the sleep mode after performing the communication according to each of the network wake-up signal and the NFC signal.
16. The method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to claim 14 or 15, wherein in determining whether the RF signal is the NFC signal or the network wake-up signal, the tag block determines whether the RF signal includes at least one of ID information, data information and command information, determines the RF signal as the network wake-up signal when the ID information is included or the data and command information is not included, and determines the RF signal as the NFC signal when the data or command information is included or the ID information is not included.
17. The method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to claim 16, wherein in transmitting the network wake-up signal, the tag block determines whether the RF signal is the network wake-up signal by determining whether the RF signal includes the ID information, and wakes up the main block by the second internal wake-up signal when the ID information is identical to its own ID by checking the ID information and outputs the network wake-up signal to the main block.
18. The method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NFC function according to any of claims 14 to 17, wherein the NFC signal and the network wake-up signal are the same frequency band signal.
19. The method for operating a wireless chip module embedding an NJFC function according to claim 18, wherein the same frequency is a 13.5 MHz band signal.