Mobile phone and method for near field communication

• US 10,063,994 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AQ Corporation
• Original Assignee: AQ Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US14/944,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a mobile phone with the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and method of operating the mobile phone. The mobile phone includes a display; a baseband chip; a near field communication (NFC) module comprising an RF antenna, an NFC tag circuit and an NFC main chip; and the RF antenna configured to receive incoming RF signals in 13.56 MHz.

Claims

1. A mobile phone comprising:

a display;

an RF antenna;

a near field communication (NFC) module electrically connected to the RF antenna and configured to perform signal and data processing for NFC communication; and

a controller chip electrically connected to the NFC module and configured to control hardware and operation of the mobile phone,

wherein when an NFC tagging is made between the mobile phone and a first external RF reader generating a first command RF signal that carries a first command of the first external RF reader, the mobile phone is configured to establish an NFC communication channel with the first external RF reader and further configured to receive at the RF antenna the first command RF signal carrying the first command of the first external RF reader via the NFC communication channel established between the mobile phone and the first external RF reader, wherein the first command of the first external RF reader carried in the first RF signal is to request a responsive action by the mobile phone,

wherein in response to receipt of the first command RF signal, the NFC module is configured to perform signal and data processing to obtain the first command of the first external RF reader that requests the responsive action by the mobile phone,

wherein subsequent to obtaining the first command of the first external RF reader, the NFC module is configured to send the first command of the first external RF reader to the controller chip for further processing to perform the responsive action requested by the first command of the first external RF reader,

wherein in response to the first command from the NFC module, the controller chip is configured for processing to perform the responsive action requested by the first command of the first external RF reader and subsequently to send to the NFC module a processing result of the controller chip for the responsive action requested by the first command,

wherein subsequently the NFC module is configured to generate a responsive RF signal based on the processing result of the controller chip,

wherein subsequently the RF antenna is configured to transmit the responsive RF signal to the first external RF reader via the NFC communication channel, and

wherein the mobile phone is configured to display, on the display, information indicative of the processing result of the controller chip for the responsive action requested by the first command.

2. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein in response to receipt of the first command RF signal at the RF antenna, the NFC module is configured to perform signal and data processing with the first command RF signal for generating a discretized command data signal, and wherein the NFC module is further configured to send to the controller chip the first command in the form of the discretized command data signal.

3. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the controller chip comprises an IRQ input terminal configured to receive an interrupt signal, wherein the NFC module comprises an IRQ output terminal connected to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip, wherein in response to receipt of the first command RF signal, the NFC module is configured to send an interrupt signal from its IRQ output terminal to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip.

4. The mobile phone of claim 3, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein the RF antenna is configured to receive the first command RF signal from the first external RF reader when the mobile phone tags the first external RF reader while the mobile phone is not operating as an NFC reader, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein in response to detection of the first command RF signal at the RF antenna, the mobile phone is configured to supply power to the NFC module, wherein the NFC module comprises an NFC tag circuit and an NFC main chip, wherein the NFC tag circuit electrically interposed between the RF antenna and the NFC main chip, wherein the NFC main chip is electrically interposed between the NFC tag circuit and the controller chip.

5. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein in response to receipt of the first command RF signal at the RF antenna, the NFC module is configured to perform signal and data processing with the first command RF signal for generating a discretized command data signal,

wherein the NFC module is further configured to send to the controller chip the first command in the form of the discretized command data signal,

wherein in response to the processing result of the controller chip, the NFC main chip is further configured to generate a responsive data signal carrying a response of the mobile phone and send the responsive data signal to the NFC tag circuit,

wherein in response to the responsive data signal from the NFC main chip, the NFC tag circuit is further configured to generate the responsive RF signal carrying the response of the mobile phone and send the responsive RF signal to the RF antenna for transmitting to the first external RF reader.

6. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the NFC module comprises a rectifier configured to supply electric power to one or more components of the mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a tuning circuit electrically interposed between the NFC module and the RF antenna, wherein the controller chip comprises an IRQ input terminal configured to receive an interrupt signal, wherein the NFC module comprises an IRQ output terminal connected to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip, wherein in response to receipt of the first command RF signal, the NFC module is configured to send an interrupt signal from its IRQ output terminal to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip.

7. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein in response to detection of the first command RF signal at the RF antenna, the mobile phone is configured to supply power to the NFC module, wherein the NFC module comprises an NFC tag circuit and an NFC main chip, wherein the NFC tag circuit electrically interposed between the RF antenna and the NFC main chip, wherein the NFC main chip is electrically interposed between the NFC tag circuit and the controller chip.

8. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the NFC module and the controller chip are connected via a host interface for data communication therebetween, wherein the controller chip is configured to cause the NFC module to generate the responsive RF signal in response to the first command of the first external RF reader, wherein the signal and data processing of the NFC module further comprises envelope detection, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a USIM card electrically connected to the NFC module, wherein the NFC module is further configured to communicate with the USIM card regarding the first command obtained by the signal and data processing.

24. A system for NFC communication, the system comprising:

the mobile phone of claim 1; and

the first external RF reader configured for NFC communication with the mobile phone.

25. A system for NFC communication, the system comprising:

the mobile phone of claim 2; and

the first external RF reader configured for NFC communication with the mobile phone.

26. A system for NFC communication, the system comprising:

the mobile phone of claim 3; and

the first external RF reader configured for NFC communication with the mobile phone.

27. A system for NFC communication, the system comprising:

the mobile phone of claim 4; and

the first external RF reader configured for NFC communication with the mobile phone.

28. A system for NFC communication, the system comprising:

the mobile phone of claim 7; and

the first external. RF reader configured for NFC communication with the mobile phone.

29. A system for NFC communication, the system comprising:

the mobile phone of claim 8; and

the first external RF reader configured for NFC communication with the mobile phone.

9. A method for near field communication (NFC), the method comprising:

providing a mobile phone comprising a display, an RF antenna, a near field communication (NFC) module electrically connected to the RF antenna and a controller chip electrically connected to the NFC module, the NFC module configured to perform signal and data processing for NFC communication, the controller chip configured to control hardware and operation of the mobile phone;

tagging, with the mobile phone, a first external RF reader generating a first command RF signal that carries a first command of the first external RF reader, wherein the first command is to request a responsive action by the mobile phone, wherein tagging causes the mobile phone to establish an NFC communication channel with the first external RF reader,

wherein tagging further causes, in the mobile phone, processes comprising;

the RF antenna receives the first command RF signal from the first external reader via the NFC communication channel,

in response to receipt of the first command RF signal, the NFC module performs signal and data processing to obtain the first command of the first external RF reader that requests the responsive action by the mobile phone,

subsequent to obtaining the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile phone, the NFC module sends the first command of the first external RF reader to the controller chip for further processing to perform the responsive action requested by the first command of the first external RF reader,

in response to the first command from the NFC module, the controller chip does a processing for performing the responsive action requested by the first command of the first external RF reader and subsequently sends to the NFC module a processing result of the controller chip for the responsive action requested by the first command,

subsequently the NFC module generates a responsive RF signal based on the processing result of the controller chip, and

subsequently the RF antenna transmits the responsive RF signal to the first external RF reader via the NFC communication channel,

wherein the mobile phone displays on the display information indicative of the processing result of the controller chip for the responsive action requested by the first command.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein the NFC module comprises an NFC tag circuit and an NFC main chip, wherein the NFC tag circuit electrically interposed between the RF antenna and the NFC main chip, wherein the NFC main chip is electrically interposed between the NFC tag circuit and the controller chip.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

setting the first external RF reader for generating the first command RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile phone.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the controller chip comprises an IRQ input terminal receives an interrupt signal, wherein the NFC module comprises an IRQ output terminal connected to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip, wherein in response to receipt of the first command RF signal, the NFC module sends an interrupt signal from its IRQ output terminal to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein the RF antenna receives the first command RF signal from the first external RF reader when the mobile phone tags the first external RF reader while the mobile phone is not operating as an NFC reader, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein in response to detection of the first command RF signal at the RF antenna, the mobile phone supplies power to the NFC module.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

setting the first external RE reader for generating the first command RE signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile phone.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

setting the first external RF reader for generating the first command RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile phone.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein in response to receipt of the first command RF signal at the RF antenna, the NFC module performs signal and data processing with the first command RF signal for generating a discretized command data signal, and wherein the NFC module sends to the controller chip the first command in the form of the discretized command data signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

setting the first external RF reader for generating the first command RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile phone.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the NFC module comprises a rectifier configured to supply electric power to one or more components of the mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a tuning circuit electrically interposed between the NFC module and the RF antenna, wherein the controller chip comprises an IRQ input terminal configured to receive an interrupt signal, wherein the NFC module comprises an IRQ output terminal connected to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip, wherein in response to receipt of the first command RF signal, the NFC module sends an interrupt signal from its IRQ output terminal to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein in response to receipt of the first command RF signal at the RF antenna, the NFC module performs signal and data processing with the first command RF signal for generating a discretized command data signal,

wherein subsequently the NFC module sends to the controller chip the first command in the form of the discretized command data signal,

wherein in response to the processing result of the controller chip, the NFC main chip generates a responsive data signal carrying a response of the mobile phone and sends the responsive data signal to the NFC tag circuit,

wherein in response to the responsive data signal from the NFC main chip, the NFC tag circuit generates the responsive RF signal carrying the response of the mobile phone and sends the responsive RF signal to the RF antenna for transmitting to the first external RF reader.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

setting the first external RF reader for generating the first command RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile phone.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the NFC module and the controller chip are connected via a host interface for data communication therebetween, wherein the controller chip causes the NFC module to generate the responsive RF signal in response to the first command of the first external RF reader, wherein the signal and data processing of the NFC module further comprises envelope detection, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a USIM card electrically connected to the NFC module, wherein the NFC module communicates with the USIM card regarding the first command obtained by the signal and data processing.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

setting the first external RF reader for generating the first command RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile phone.

23. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

setting the first external RF reader for generating the first command RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile phone.