Wake-up device and corresponding method of operation

Abstract

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a wake-up device is provided, comprising: an NFC unit; a wake-up unit, the wake-up unit being operably coupled to the NFC unit; wherein the NFC unit is configured to operate in a wake-up receiver mode in which the NFC unit is configured to receive a wake-up signal from an external NFC device; wherein the NFC unit is additionally configured to provide the wake-up signal to the wake-up unit; and wherein the wake-up unit is configured to wake up one or more external functional components in response to receiving the wake-up signal from the NFC unit. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding method of operating a wake-up device is conceived.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wake-up device. In addition, the present disclosure relates to a corresponding method of operating a wake-up device. Background Art

[0002] Different types of devices can be used to access objects or assets such as vehicles and buildings. For example, classic passive keyless entry systems use low-frequency (LF) magnetic tracking (e.g., at an operating frequency of 125 kHz) to facilitate such access. Alternatively, mobile consumer devices such as mobile phones can be used for this purpose to facilitate hands-free access. Such consumer devices typically employ a combination of different technologies such as near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth (BT) communication, and ultra-wideband (UWB) communication. It should be noted that the acronym BT can refer to Bluetooth Low Energy. In addition, a remote control key that also employs such a technology combination is envisioned to support hands-free access to the aforementioned objects. However, it may be difficult to keep the power consumption of such a hands-free remote control key at an acceptable level. Similarly, it may be difficult to keep the power consumption of other small devices such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and earbuds at an acceptable level. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wake-up device, comprising: an NFC unit; a wake-up unit operatively coupled to the NFC unit; wherein the NFC unit is configured to operate in a wake-up receiver mode, in which the NFC unit is configured to receive a wake-up signal from an external NFC device; wherein the NFC unit is further configured to provide the wake-up signal to the wake-up unit; and wherein the wake-up unit is configured to wake up one or more external functional components in response to receiving the wake-up signal from the NFC unit.

[0004] In one or more embodiments, the NFC unit is configured to operate with high sensitivity at a frequency of 13.56 MHz or approximately 13.56 MHz.

[0005] In one or more embodiments, the NFC unit is configured to receive the wake-up signal within a range of approximately 2 meters of the external NFC device.

[0006] In one or more embodiments, the wake-up receiver mode is a receive-only operation mode.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the NFC unit is further configured to operate in a conventional NFC mode.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the NFC unit is configured to use the same antenna for the wake-up receiver mode as for the conventional NFC mode.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the one or more external functional components include a UWB communication unit.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the one or more external functional components include a Bluetooth communication unit.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the wake-up device further includes a processing unit operatively coupled to the NFC unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to derive a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from the wake-up signal.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the wake-up signal includes a user device identifier.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the user device includes the wake-up device according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the user device is a remote control key for accessing an object such as a vehicle.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the user device is an Internet of Things (IoT) sensor.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a wake-up device is contemplated, including: operating a near field communication (NFC) unit included in the wake-up device in a wake-up receiver mode, wherein the NFC unit is configured to receive a wake-up signal from an external NFC device; providing, by the NFC unit, the wake-up signal to a wake-up unit included in the wake-up device; and waking up, by the wake-up unit, one or more external functional components in response to receiving the wake-up signal from the NFC unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1A An example of wake-up rate measurement in a near-ideal scenario is shown.

[0019] Figure 1B An example of wake-up rate measurement in a real scenario is shown.

[0020] Figure 2 An illustrative embodiment of the wake-up device is shown.

[0021] Figure 3 An illustrative embodiment of a method of operating a wake-up device is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Hands-free access systems that use a mobile consumer device (e.g., a mobile phone) as the primary means of accessing a vehicle are designed to provide the same quality of user convenience as a classic passive keyless entry system that uses a remote key fob. These access systems typically rely on a combination of technologies, more specifically, NFC, BT, and UWB. Vehicle manufacturers have started to bring these systems to market, and an increasing number of them comply with technical standards such as the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) Digital Key Version 3 specification. The classic passive keyless entry system uses a remote key fob that employs LF magnetic tracking (e.g., 125 kHz) to meet important requirements regarding battery life and positioning accuracy. Such passive keyless entry systems have been available on the market for many years.

[0023] Many vehicle manufacturers support both passive keyless entry systems that use remote key fobs and access systems that use mobile phones to support both hands-free key fob and hands-free mobile phone access. Currently, a battery-powered remote key fob that uses a combination of NFC, BT, and UWB is envisioned to simplify the overall system and reduce the system bill of materials. For example, such a remote key fob can be equipped with a button cell (e.g., CR2032). However, it may be difficult to keep the power consumption of such a remote key fob low in order to achieve an acceptable battery life of two years or more. Similarly, it may be difficult to keep the power consumption of other small devices with integrated batteries (e.g., Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and earbuds) low in order to achieve an acceptable life for the battery. To minimize power consumption, such remote key fobs or other small devices typically include a wake-up receiver that is capable of waking up only the main functional components of the device when necessary to keep the device in a low-power state for as long as possible. However, this wake-up receiver may not have the desired performance in terms of wake-up rate. Therefore, the device integrated therein may not wake up when a wake-up is needed.

[0024] Figure 1A and 1B respectively show an example of wake-up rate measurements in a near-ideal scenario 100 and an example of wake-up rate measurements in a realistic scenario 106. Specifically, the measurement results of a typical wake-up receiver are shown. Figure 1A Shows the wake-up rate measurements in a near-ideal scenario 100, i.e., where a mobile node including a wake-up receiver is placed on a foam block at different positions around a vehicle 102 including an anchor 104 to simulate ideal conditions. Figure 1B Shows the wake-up rate measurements in a realistic scenario 106, where the mobile node is in the back pocket of a test person at the same positions around the vehicle 102. It can be seen that the wake-up rate of the receiver is poor at a frequency of 2.4 GHz and is insufficient to meet the requirements of the access system.

[0025] Now, a wake-up device and a corresponding method of operating the wake-up device will be discussed, which helps to keep the power consumption of a user device equipped with the wake-up device at an acceptable level while avoiding or reducing the risk of wake-up failure of one or more functional components of the user device.

[0026] Figure 2 An illustrative embodiment of the wake-up device 200 is shown. The wake-up device 200 includes an NFC unit 202 and a wake-up unit 204 operably coupled to each other. It should be noted that although the NFC unit 202 and the wake-up unit 204 are shown as separate components, they may also be integrated into a single unit or component such as an NFC chip. The NFC unit 202 is configured to operate in a wake-up receiver mode, in which the NFC unit 202 is configured to receive a wake-up signal from an external NFC device (not shown). In addition, the NFC unit 202 is configured to provide the wake-up signal to the wake-up unit 204. In addition, the wake-up unit 204 is configured to wake up one or more external functional components (not shown) in response to receiving the wake-up signal from the NFC unit 202. It should be noted that the term "external" means that the functional components do not form part of the wake-up device 200. However, they may be integrated into a user device of which the wake-up device 200 also forms part. In this case, the wake-up device 200 can act as a wake-up receiver to wake up one or more functional components of the user device. By receiving the wake-up signal via the NFC channel and waking up one or more functional components in response to receiving the wake-up signal, the power consumption of the user device integrated with (or coupled to) the wake-up device 200 can be kept at an acceptable level while avoiding or reducing the risk of wake-up failure of one or more functional components.

[0027] In one or more embodiments, the NFC unit is configured to operate with high sensitivity at a frequency of 13.56 MHz or approximately 13.56 MHz. In this way, a wake-up event can be triggered at a suitable distance from the external NFC device while achieving operation at the standardized operating frequency of NFC. In addition, in one or more embodiments, the NFC unit is configured to receive the wake-up signal within a range of approximately 2 meters from the external NFC device. This range is particularly suitable for triggering a wake-up event. However, depending on the use case, another range may be more appropriate. For example, in some use cases, a distance longer than 2 meters may be more appropriate. In one or more embodiments, the wake-up receiver mode is a receive-only operation mode. In this way, the power consumption can be further reduced because no transmission operation will be performed.

[0028] In one or more embodiments, the NFC unit is further configured to operate in a conventional NFC mode. In this way, conventional NFC, which is typically performed at distances of up to 10 centimeters, is also facilitated. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the NFC unit is configured to use the same antenna for the wake-up receiver mode as for the conventional NFC mode. In this way, system costs can be reduced, particularly by reusing an existing antenna that is already available for performing conventional NFC (e.g., which supports tap-to-unlock or tap-to-pay functionality) for wake-up operations. In one or more embodiments, one or more external functional components include a UWB communication unit. In this way, UWB ranging operations can be triggered by the NFC-based wake-up device. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, one or more external functional components include a BT communication unit. In this way, BT operations can be triggered by the NFC-based wake-up device.

[0029] In one or more embodiments, the wake-up device further includes a processing unit operatively coupled to the NFC unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to derive a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from the wake-up signal. Again, it should be noted that the NFC unit, the wake-up unit, and the processing unit do not need to be implemented as separate components. More specifically, they can also be integrated into a single unit or component such as an NFC chip. By deriving the RSSI from the NFC wake-up signal, additional functionality can be enabled, such as NFC-based remote key in-out detection for engine start authorization and improved sanity checks on potential RSSI, time-of-flight-based ranging measurements, or phase-based ranging measurements via a BT link. More specifically, the RSSI of the wake-up signal can be compared with potential RSSI from BT communication, time-of-flight, or phase-based ranging results. In this way, the validity of the signal can be checked because it is more difficult to attack two communication links simultaneously. For example, if the two measurements produce significantly different results, there may be an attack on one of the channels. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the wake-up signal includes a user device identifier. In this way, the wake-up operation can be targeted at a specific user device while preventing unnecessary wake-up of other nearby devices.

[0030] Figure 3Illustrative embodiments of a method 300 for operating a wake-up device are shown. Method 300 includes the following steps. At 302, an NFC unit included in the wake-up device operates in a wake-up receiver mode, in which the NFC unit is configured to receive a wake-up signal from an external NFC device. At 304, the NFC unit provides the wake-up signal to a wake-up unit included in the wake-up device. Further, at 306, the wake-up unit wakes up one or more external functional components in response to receiving the wake-up signal from the NFC unit. As mentioned above, by receiving a wake-up signal via an NFC channel and waking up one or more functional components in response to receiving the wake-up signal, the power consumption of the user device can be maintained at an acceptable level while avoiding or reducing the risk of wake-up failure of one or more functional components.

[0031] The presently disclosed wake-up device facilitates the implementation of an ultra-low power device wake-up system, which in turn enables the remote control key that can be used in NFC, BT, and UWB-based access systems to support hands-free operation and have a battery life of two years or longer. Specifically, the wake-up device can be implemented as a dedicated NFC IC that serves as a wake-up radio device in the remote control key. The wake-up functionality can be based on 13.56 MHz technology with sufficient sensitivity to achieve a wake-up range of approximately 2 meters using, for example, a conventional NFC door handle module in a vehicle that can also perform NFC communication.

[0032] The ISO / IEC 14443-2 standard specifies a minimum field strength of 1.5 A / m, which should be strong enough for an NFC base station to perform two-way communication within a distance of a few centimeters. However, the achievable communication distance from the base station to the NFC receiver can actually be significantly greater. Further, for wake-up functionality, the communication does not need to be two-way. Thus, NFC communication at greater distances can contribute to achieving an efficient wake-up function. In a practical implementation, the NFC wake-up IC can have two operating modes. The first mode can be a conventional NFC mode, in which communication can be performed at a distance of, for example, up to 10 centimeters. The second mode can be a wake-up radio-only receive mode, in which the IC operates at low power but with high sensitivity.

[0033] Waking up a user device using NFC with an operating frequency of 13.56 MHz can have the following advantages. The wake-up receiver mainly uses the magnetic near field rather than the radiated transverse electromagnetic (TEM) wave. Using a coil antenna assembled into a remote key, the conversion from the near field to the far field of the 13.56 MHz radio wave can occur at a distance of approximately 3.5 meters, resulting in a very narrow conversion range from 0% wake-up probability to 100% wake-up probability. In addition, the magnetic field distribution decreases by 60 dB per decade, which enables a clear distinction of the wake-up range and, if applicable, high positioning accuracy based on RSSI. In addition, compared with existing LF systems, metal shielding penetration is limited, which is beneficial for accurate detection inside and outside an object. In addition, the human body attenuation is lower than that of the electromagnetic field in the GHz range, so the system may be less affected by human body shielding. In addition, due to the inherent short distance of the system, compared with radio devices operating at higher frequencies, the system is less affected by multipath effects due to different environments. This property is important for vehicle access systems due to the unpredictable environments when entering a vehicle (e.g., a crowded parking lot, a car on a green space, a basement garage, possibly in combination with one or more nearby human bodies). Additionally, due to the relatively high bandwidth of the receiving filter, it is easier to satisfy the trade-off between power consumption and sensitivity, resulting in a lower filter order compared with higher frequency systems. In addition, due to the short-range nature of the technology, interference with other systems can be limited. It should be noted that the boundary between the near field and the far field can also be different from 3.5 meters. This boundary depends particularly on the characteristics of the antenna, such as the resonant frequency and size of the antenna.

[0034] According to the present disclosure, the wake-up functionality can be utilized to enhance an NFC radio device to produce a remote key fob with NFC, BT, and UWB capabilities, having low receiver power consumption and maximum compatibility with existing standards. Optionally, the NFC radio device can be used as a stand-alone device for a low-cost solution. The remote key fob can be used for range detection within a so-called Thatcham area in a passive entry authorization application, possibly as a low-complexity stand-alone system. The Thatcham area is defined by the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre (MIRRC). The Thatcham area is defined as an operating range around the vehicle, the operating range being no more than 2 meters from any point around the perimeter of the vehicle. Additionally, the low-power functionality can be an important feature of the access system, where BT and UWB are triggered for secure ranging operations. Further, the lifespan of a battery (e.g., a CR2032 coin cell) can be extended to two years or more. Additionally, the enhanced NFC radio device can be compatible with existing NFC standards (ISO 19092, ISO21481, ISO 14443), so the wake-up functionality can be implemented in combination with conventional NFC functionality. Additionally, the enhanced NFC radio device can be compatible with the above CCC Digital Key Version 3 specification, so the wake-up functionality does not interfere with a phone-based access system. Further, an in-and-out detection of the remote key fob for engine start authorization can be achieved; this detection can be based on an RSSI comparison between an internal module and an external module.

[0035] The enhanced NFC radio device is capable of receiving wake-up packets via the NFC channel at distances up to 2 meters. These wake-up packets can contain an identifier for waking up only a specific device that receives using the same identifier, thus preventing unnecessary wake-up of other nearby devices. Additionally, the enhanced NFC radio device can use the same antenna as the antenna used for conventional NFC. Thus, the enhanced NFC radio device can be designed in such a way that the receiver can operate in two modes, namely, a low-power wake-up mode and a conventional NFC mode. Additionally, the enhanced NFC radio device can be designed in such a way that the field strength used in conventional NFC operations does not damage the wake-up radio portion of the device.

[0036] Based on the currently disclosed wake-up device, several use cases and corresponding system architectures can be envisioned. For example, in a first use case, a hands-free access system can be envisioned, particularly for accessing a vehicle. The system includes a plurality of anchors installed in or attached to the vehicle, and a mobile node (e.g., a smartphone or a smartwatch) acting as an access device. In many cases, it should also be possible to access without using a smartphone. In these cases, a keychain or a token is required. The currently disclosed wake-up device can be integrated into such a remote control key. The remote control key can use an NFC-based wake-up radio channel to listen for wake-up data packets. Once a matching wake-up data packet has been received, the BT device of the remote control key can be awakened to perform authentication and session initialization, as mentioned in different technical standards (e.g., the CCC standard). Additionally, once a matching wake-up data packet has been received, the UWB device of the remote control key can be awakened. This UWB device can perform secure ranging after the BT device has performed authentication and session initialization. Additionally, the UWB device can perform the authentication and session initialization itself before performing secure ranging. In this case, the remote control key does not need to be equipped with a BT device, which reduces its cost. It should be noted that the authentication, session initialization, and secure ranging are compatible with existing standards, such that the currently disclosed wake-up device can be fully integrated into existing access systems.

[0037] In a second use case, a combination of NFC and BT communication can be used to control access to an object such as a vehicle. Thereby, a low-cost access system without UWB functionality can be implemented. Similar to the access system described with reference to the first use case, an NFC-based wake-up device can be used to wake up the BT device in order to perform an authentication operation. Additionally, the NFC-based wake-up device can provide RSSI information to the BT device. Subsequently, the BT device can use this information to perform an improved sanity check on potential RSSI, time-of-flight-based ranging measurements, and / or phase-based ranging measurements via the BT link.

[0038] In a third use case, NFC can be used to improve the robustness of BT communication. In this case, an existing BT advertiser scanner system can be enhanced for additional robustness. Such a system advertises and scans periodically via a BT link. Since scanning typically requires more power than advertising, the role of the device is usually determined by the availability of power, potentially precluding the possibility of using a remote key as a scanner. Duty cycles are commonly used to reduce power consumption, but sometimes this results in an unacceptable response time (latency) of the system. Additionally, the increased response time of a BT system can also be caused by excessive interference on the shared BT channel. Then, an NFC-based wake-up device can be utilized to enhance the system, which scans for wake-up packets in parallel with the BT device. Thus, for longer distances, the BT advertiser scanner scheme is used for wake-up. However, if this scheme fails to wake up the system in time due to duty cycle or interference, the NFC wake-up radio device can be used as a backup solution. For example, long-range wake-up enabled by BT communication can be used for the welcome lights of a car and to unlock the car. However, if the BT-based wake-up does not work, the welcome lights of the car may not be activated, but due to the short-range NFC backup radio link, the car can still be unlocked hands-free with an acceptable response time / latency if a person is close enough to open the car.

[0039] It should be noted that a typical remote key that employs a combination of NFC, BT communication, and UWB communication uses a standard BT connection establishment method to establish a data connection between the remote key and the vehicle. Such a typical remote key is usually optimized to trade off current consumption and system latency. However, such a typical remote key does not meet the low-power requirements of a remote key because the standard BT connection establishment method requires the remote key to continuously transmit BT advertising packets. To improve this, a motion sensor can be used, but in this case, the cost of the remote key will increase. In contrast, when using the currently disclosed wake-up device, the low-power requirements of a remote key can be met without significantly increasing the cost of the remote key. Specifically, ultra-low-power wake-up functionality can be utilized to enhance the NFC device to build a smart keychain with a battery life of over two years and a high compatibility with existing standards. Additionally, no additional components need to be included in the system. Using the currently disclosed wake-up device, the average current consumption of the remote key can be significantly reduced compared to a remote key that uses the standard BT connection establishment method. Moreover, due to the ultra-low-power operation, the receiver may not need to use a very low duty cycle, which can significantly reduce the latency of the wake-up device.

[0040] The 2.4 GHz band is typically occupied by many devices (e.g., BT devices, WLAN devices), which can extend the connection establishment time to an unacceptable level in an unpredictable manner. Additionally, the advertising interval of BT needs to be adjusted to trade off between interference, power consumption, and latency. However, due to the short transmission range, the impact from other 13.56 MHz third-party devices in the environment is limited, and thus the interference probability is low. For this reason, the currently disclosed wake-up device may suffer less interference than, for example, a device operating in the 2.4 GHz band.

[0041] Different applications of the currently disclosed wake-up device can be envisioned. For example, in addition to the standard BT device connection establishment between the remote key and the vehicle, the low-power device wake-up functionality can also be used. When the user leaves the vehicle and the vehicle is automatically locked, the system can turn off BT advertising and scanning when the remote key leaves a predefined departure area, so as to force the remote key into a mode that only listens for NFC wake-up signals. In this way, the power consumption of the remote key can be significantly reduced. In another example, a 13.56 MHz radio link can be used to perform data transmission from the vehicle to the remote key using an application-optimized radio protocol (e.g., low data rate). This data link can replace the 2.4 GHz BT data receiver on the keychain side. In yet another example, the remote key can use magnetic field strength RSSI measurements to perform accurate remote key positioning, thereby replacing or enhancing other positioning solutions (e.g., BT channel sounding, UWB-based time-of-flight measurements).

[0042] It should be noted that the above embodiments have been described with reference to different subject matters. Specifically, some embodiments may have been described with reference to method-type claims, while other embodiments may have been described with reference to device-type claims. However, those skilled in the art will understand from the above that, unless otherwise stated, any combination of features related to different subject matters, in particular the combination of features of method-type claims and features of device-type claims, in addition to any combination of features belonging to one type of subject matter, is also considered to be disclosed together with this document.

[0043] In addition, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic. In different diagrams, like or identical elements are denoted by the same reference numerals. Further, it should be noted that, to provide a concise description of the illustrative embodiments, implementation details that are routine for those skilled in the art may not be described. It is to be understood that, in the development of any such implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary between different implementations. Moreover, it is to be understood that such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but are merely routine tasks for those skilled in the art in design, fabrication, and production.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprise(s) / comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The measures recited in the claims can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements and / or by means of a suitably programmed processor. In a device claim reciting several means, several of these means can be implemented by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0045] List of Reference Numerals

[0046] 100 Wake-up rate measurement in an ideal scenario

[0047] 102 Vehicle

[0048] 104 Anchor node

[0049] 106 Wake-up rate measurement in a real scenario

[0050] 200 Wake-up device

[0051] 202 NFC unit

[0052] 204 Wake-up unit

[0053] 300 Method of operating a wake-up device

[0054] 302 Operating the NFC unit included in a wake-up device in a wake-up receiver mode,

[0055] In the wake-up receiver mode, the NFC unit is configured to receive a wake-up signal 304 from an external NFC device and provide the wake-up signal to a wake-up unit included in the wake-up device.

[0056] 306 The wake-up unit wakes up one or more external functional components in response to receiving the wake-up signal from the NFC unit.

Claims

1. An awakening device, characterized in that, Comprising: A Near Field Communication (NFC) unit; A wake-up unit, operatively coupled to the NFC unit; Wherein the NFC unit is configured to operate in a wake-up receiver mode, in which the NFC unit is configured to receive a wake-up signal from an external NFC device; Wherein the NFC unit is further configured to provide the wake-up signal to the wake-up unit; and Wherein the wake-up unit is configured to wake up one or more external functional components in response to receiving the wake-up signal from the NFC unit.

2. The wake-up device according to claim 1, wherein The NFC unit is configured to operate with high sensitivity at a frequency of 13.56 MHz or approximately 13.56 MHz.

3. The wake-up device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The NFC unit is configured to receive the wake-up signal within a range of approximately 2 meters of the external NFC device.

4. The wake-up device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The wake-up receiver mode is a receive-only operation mode.

5. The wake-up device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The NFC unit is further configured to operate in a conventional NFC mode.

6. The wake-up device according to claim 5, wherein The NFC unit is configured to use the same antenna for the wake-up receiver mode as for the conventional NFC mode.

7. The wake-up device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The one or more external functional components include an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) communication unit.

8. The wake-up device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The one or more external functional components include a Bluetooth communication unit.

9. A user device, characterized in that, Comprising the wake-up device according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. A method for operating a wake-up device, characterized in that, Comprising: Operating in a wake-up receiver mode includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) unit in the wake-up device, in which the NFC unit is configured to receive a wake-up signal from an external NFC device; The NFC unit provides the wake-up signal to a wake-up unit included in the wake-up device; The wake-up unit wakes up one or more external functional components in response to receiving the wake-up signal from the NFC unit.

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