Wake up device for a communications system

1. A radio communications system comprising:

a master receiver circuit having a sleep mode and an active mode, the master receiver circuit being configured to consume less power in the sleep mode than in the active mode;

a switch circuit configured to control when the master receiver circuit switches between the sleep mode and the active mode;

a receiver input configured to receive radio signals; and

a wake-up detector circuit, coupled to the receiver input, including:

circuitry configured to reject any of said radio signals not having a data rate equal to a single, specific, predetermined, first data rate, and to generate a wake-up mode signal when the receiver input receives a radio signal having a data rate equal to said first data rate;

wherein the switch circuit switches the master receiver from the sleep mode to the active mode in response to the data rate detector circuit generating said wake-up mode signal; and

wherein the switch circuit does not switch the master receiver from the sleep mode to the active mode in response to the receiver input receiving a radio signal having a data rate not equal to said first data rate.

2. A radio communications system according to claim 1 , wherein, while the master receiver circuit is in the sleep mode, the switch circuit continuously and uninterruptibly maintains the master receiver circuit in the sleep mode until the data rate detector circuit generates said wake-up mode signal.

3. A radio communications system according to claim 1 , further comprising a second data rate detector circuit that detects when the receiver input receives a radio signal having a second data rate, said second data rate being different from said first data rate, wherein the second data rate detector is connected to control the switch circuit so as to switch the master receiver circuit to the sleep mode in response to the receiver input receiving a radio signal having said second data rate.

4. A radio communications system according to claim 1 , and further comprising a radio transmitter, wherein, at a time when the master receiver circuit is in its sleep mode, the radio transmitter transmits a signal having the first data rate so as to put the master receiver circuit into its active mode, and wherein, at a time when the master receiver circuit is in its active mode, the radio transmitter transmits data to the radio communications receiver.

5. A method of changing a radio communications receiver from a sleep mode to an active mode, comprising:

providing a radio communications receiver having a sleep mode and an active mode, wherein the receiver continuously and uninterruptibly consumes less electrical power in the sleep mode than in the active mode;

receiving radio signals at an input of the receiver;

filtering said radio signals received in the receiving step so as to reject any of said radio signals not having a data rate equal to a single, specific, predetermined, first data rate;

while the receiver is in the sleep mode, detecting when the receiver receives a radio signal that has a data rate equal to said first data rate and that is not rejected by the filtering step; and

switching the receiver from the sleep mode to the active mode in response to detecting said first data rate.

6. A method according to claim 5 , further comprising, while the receiver is in the sleep mode, continuously and uninterruptibly maintaining the receiver in the sleep mode until the receiver receives a radio signal that has a data rate equal to said first data rate and that is not rejected by the filtering.

7. A method according to claim 5 , further comprising detecting when the receiver receives a radio signal having a data rate equal to a second predetermined data rate, wherein the second data rate is different from the first data rate; and

in response to detecting said second data rate, switching the receiver to the sleep mode, and then continuously and uninterruptibly maintaining the receiver in the sleep mode until detecting said first data rate again.

8. A method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

at a time when the receiver is in its sleep mode, transmitting from a radio transmitter a signal having the predetermined data rate so as to put the master receiver circuit into its active mode; and

at a time when the receiver is in its active mode, transmitting data from the radio transmitter to the receiver.

9. A radio communications system comprising:

a receiver having a sleep mode and an active mode such that, in operation, the receiver continuously and uninterruptibly consumes less power in the sleep mode than in the active mode;

a receiver input for receiving radio signals; and

a wake-up detector circuit coupled to the receiver input including:

circuitry that rejects any of said radio signals not having data rate equal to a predetermined, first data rate, and that generates a wake-up mode signal only when the receiver input receives a radio signal having a data rate equal to said first data rate;

wherein the receiver is configured to switch from the sleep mode to the active mode in response to the data rate detector circuit generating said wake-up mode signal.

10. A radio communications system according to claim 9 , wherein the switch circuit does not switch the master receiver from the sleep mode to the active mode in response to the receiver input receiving a radio signal having a data rate not equal to said first data rate.

11. A radio communications system according to claim 9 further comprising:

a second data rate detector circuit that detects when the receiver input receives a radio signal having a second data rate, said second data rate being different from said first data rate;

wherein the receiver is configured to switch to the sleep mode in response to the receiver input receiving a radio signal having said second data rate.

12. A radio communications system according to claim 9 further comprising:

a radio transmitter;

wherein the radio transmitter is configured to transmit, at a time when the master receiver circuit is in its sleep mode, a signal having the first data rate so as to put the receiver into its active mode; and

wherein, at a time when the receiver is in its active mode, the radio transmitter transmits data to the receiver.

13. A method of changing a radio communications receiver from a sleep mode to an active mode, comprising:

providing a receiver having a sleep mode and an active mode, wherein, in operation, the receiver continuously consumes less electrical power in the sleep mode than in the active mode;

receiving radio signals at an input of the receiver;

rejecting any of said radio signals not having a data rate equal to a predetermined first data rate;

while the receiver is in the sleep mode, continuously maintaining the receiver in the sleep mode until the receiver receives a radio signal that has a data rate equal to said first data rate and that is not rejected;

while the receiver is in the sleep mode, detecting when the receiver receives a radio signal that has a data rate equal to said first data rate and that is not rejected; and

switching the receiver from the sleep mode to the active mode in response to detecting said first data rate.

14. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising the subsequent steps of:

detecting when the receiver receives a radio signal having a data rate equal to a second predetermined data rate, wherein the second data rate is different from the first data rate; and

in response to detecting said second data rate, switching the receiver to the sleep mode, and then continuously maintaining the receiver in the sleep mode until detecting said first data rate again.

15. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

at a time when the receiver is in its sleep mode, transmitting from a radio transmitter a signal having the predetermined data rate so as to put the master receiver circuit into its active mode; and

at a time when the receiver is in its active mode, transmitting data from the radio transmitter to the receiver.