Power optimisation
A method of power optimisation in an RFID device includes harvesting power from a radio-frequency excitation field using an antenna, powering a biometric authentication unit and an RFID communication module using the harvested power from the antenna; monitoring the voltage of the power supplied to the biometric authentication unit, and controlling a clock speed of a processing unit of the biometric authentication unit based on the monitored voltage by operating the processing unit at a higher clock speed when a high voltage level is detected and at a lower clock speed when a low voltage level is detected.
1. A method of operating an RFID device comprising:
harvesting power in the RFID device from a radio-frequency excitation field from an RFID reader that is separate from the RFID device using an antenna of the RFID device;
powering the RFID device, which includes powering power control logic and biometric authentication module, using the harvested power from the antenna;
monitoring a level of the power supplied to the RFID device with a voltage sensor on board the RFID device, to determine when the power drawn by the antenna is high or low while performing a biometric evaluation; and
controlling a clock speed for processing of the biometric authentication module based on a signal received from the voltage sensor while monitoring the level of the power,
wherein controlling the clock speed includes running at a slower clock speed upon determining the power drawn by the antenna is low from the monitoring by the voltage sensor, thereby slowing the biometric evaluation relative to executing the biometric evaluation with a higher clock speed when the power drawn by the antenna is high, and when the level of the power drawn by the antenna is higher, the clock speed is made to run higher,
whereby the controlling includes performing the biometric evaluation at the higher clock speed when the power drawn by the antenna is detected as being high and performing the biometric evaluation at the slower clock speed when the level of the power drawn by the antenna is detected as being low.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the biometric authentication module is a fingerprint authentication module.
3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
powering a communication module of the RFID device using the harvested power from the antenna at the same time as controlling the clock speed.
4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the controlling includes processing at the clock speed below a maximum clock speed when processing at the maximum clock speed would impair operation of the communication module.
5. An RFID device comprising:
an antenna for receiving and harvesting power from a radio-frequency signal from an RFID reader that is separate from the RFID device,
wherein the RFID device, which includes power control logic and a biometric authentication module, is powered using the harvested power from the antenna;
a voltage sensor configured to monitor a level of the power supplied to the RFID device to determine when the power drawn by the antenna is high or low while performing a biometric evaluation; and
clock speed control logic for controlling a clock speed for processing of the biometric authentication module based on a signal received from the voltage sensor while monitoring the level of the power,
wherein controlling the clock speed includes running at a slower clock speed upon determining the power drawn by the antenna is low from the monitoring by the voltage sensor, thereby slowing the biometric evaluation relative to executing the biometric evaluation with a higher clock speed when the power drawn by the antenna is high, and when the level of the power drawn by the antenna is higher, the clock speed is made to run higher,
whereby the controlling includes performing the biometric evaluation at the higher clock speed when the power drawn by the antenna is detected as being high and performing the biometric evaluation at the slower clock speed when the level of the power drawn by the antenna is detected as being low.
6. A device according to claim 5 , wherein the biometric authentication module is a fingerprint authentication module.
7. A device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a communication module powered by the harvested power from the antenna.
8. A device according to claim 7 , wherein the communication module uses active load modulation to communicate via the antenna.
9. A device according to claim 7 , wherein the controlling includes processing at the clock speed below a maximum clock speed when processing at the maximum clock speed would impair operation of the communication module.