Status monitoring for boxed wireless device
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a sealed package;
a point of sale device located inside the sealed package;
a secure microcontroller located in the point of sale device;
a battery;
(i) located in the point of sale device; and
(ii) ohmically coupled to the secure microcontroller;
an electrically programmable memory in the point of sale device storing a status code for the point of sale device;
an NFC antenna located in the point of sale device and communicatively coupled to the secure microcontroller;
a status monitoring circuit located in the secure microcontroller;
a set of instructions stored on the secure microcontroller for execution by the status monitoring circuit to periodically refresh the status code in the electrically programmable memory;
an NFC front end chip;
a set of instructions stored on the secure microcontroller to;
process payment information received from the NFC antenna; and
write the status code to the electrically programmable memory;
wherein the status code is accessible from outside the sealed package via the NFC antenna;
wherein the electrically programmable memory is volatile;
wherein the secure microcontroller is communicatively coupled to the NFC antenna via the NFC front end chip; and
wherein the status monitoring circuit and the NFC front end chip are both configured to receive power via the NFC antenna when the status code is accessed from outside the sealed package.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for determining the status of a packaged device are disclosed. The device can include a secure microcontroller, a battery, a memory storing a status code, and an NFC antenna located in the device and communicatively coupled to the secure microcontroller. A set of instructions are stored on the secure microcontroller to write the status code to the memory. The status code is accessible from outside the sealed package via the antenna. The device could also be a POS device with instructions to process payment information received on the antenna. The apparatus could also include a power routing switch. Power could then be provided from the antenna to the battery via the switch output when the switch is in a conductive state.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a sealed package; a point of sale device located inside the sealed package; a secure microcontroller located in the point of sale device; a battery;
(i) located in the point of sale device; and
(ii) ohmically coupled to the secure microcontroller;an electrically programmable memory in the point of sale device storing a status code for the point of sale device; an NFC antenna located in the point of sale device and communicatively coupled to the secure microcontroller; a status monitoring circuit located in the secure microcontroller; a set of instructions stored on the secure microcontroller for execution by the status monitoring circuit to periodically refresh the status code in the electrically programmable memory; an NFC front end chip; a set of instructions stored on the secure microcontroller to; process payment information received from the NFC antenna; and write the status code to the electrically programmable memory; wherein the status code is accessible from outside the sealed package via the NFC antenna; wherein the electrically programmable memory is volatile; wherein the secure microcontroller is communicatively coupled to the NFC antenna via the NFC front end chip; and wherein the status monitoring circuit and the NFC front end chip are both configured to receive power via the NFC antenna when the status code is accessed from outside the sealed package. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14)
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12. An apparatus comprising:
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a sealed package; a device located inside the sealed package; a microcontroller located in the device; a battery;
(i) located in the device; and
(ii) ohmically coupled to the microcontroller;an electrically programmable memory in the device storing a status code for the device; and an NFC antenna located in the device and communicatively coupled to the microcontroller; a power routing switch having a switch input and a switch output; an NFC front end chip; wherein the switch input is ohmically coupled to the NFC antenna when the switch is in a conductive state and a nonconductive state; wherein power is provided from the NFC antenna to the battery via the switch output when the switch is in the conductive state; wherein the NFC front end chip stores instructions to;
(i) monitor for a command from the NFC antenna when the NFC front end chip is in a card emulator mode;
(ii) alter a state of the switch from the nonconductive state to the conductive state upon receipt of the command;
(iii) alter the state of the switch from the conductive state to the nonconductive state upon receipt of a termination command; andwherein the status code is accessible from outside the sealed package via the NFC antenna. - View Dependent Claims (13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method comprising:
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programming a point of sale device to process payment information received via an antenna located in the point of sale device; packaging the point of sale device in a sealed package; writing, while the point of sale device is in the sealed package, a status code for the point of sale device to an electrically programmable memory in the point of sale device using a secure microcontroller in the point of sale device; interrogating, while the point of sale device is in the sealed package, the point of sale device using the antenna and an external reader, to obtain the status code; placing an NFC front end chip in a card emulator mode, wherein the NFC front end chip is in the point of sale device; requesting, while the NFC front end chip is in the card emulator mode, the status code from the secure microcontroller using the NFC front end chip; presenting, while the NFC front end chip is in a card emulator mode, the status code to the antenna using the NFC front end chip; placing the NFC front end chip in a card reader mode; and receiving, while the NFC front end chip is in the card reader mode, the payment information from the antenna using the NFC front end chip. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus comprising:
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a sealed package; a point of sale device located inside the sealed package; a secure microcontroller located in the point of sale device; a battery;
(i) located in the point of sale device; and
(ii) ohmically coupled to the secure microcontroller;an electrically programmable memory in the point of sale device storing a status code for the point of sale device; an NFC antenna located in the point of sale device and communicatively coupled to the secure microcontroller; an NFC front end chip; a set of instructions stored on the secure microcontroller to; process payment information received from the NFC antenna; and write the status code to the electrically programmable memory; wherein the status code is accessible from outside the sealed package via the NFC antenna; wherein the secure microcontroller is communicatively coupled to the NFC antenna via the NFC front end chip; and wherein the NFC front end chip stores instructions to;
(i) request the status code from the secure microcontroller and present the status code to the NFC antenna when the NFC front end chip is in a card emulator mode; and
(ii) provide the payment information to the secure microcontroller when the NFC front end chip is in a card reader mode. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus comprising:
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a sealed package; a point of sale device located inside the sealed package; a secure microcontroller located in the point of sale device; a battery;
(i) located in the point of sale device; and
(ii) ohmically coupled to the secure microcontroller;an electrically programmable memory in the point of sale device storing a status code for the point of sale device; an NFC antenna located in the point of sale device and communicatively coupled to the secure microcontroller; an NFC front end chip; a power routing switch having a switch input and a switch output; a set of instructions stored on the secure microcontroller to; process payment information received from the NFC antenna; and write the status code to the electrically programmable memory; wherein the status code is accessible from outside the sealed package via the NFC antenna; wherein the NFC front end chip stores instructions to;
(i) receive a command from the NFC antenna when the NFC front end chip is in a card emulator mode;
(ii) alter a state of the switch from a nonconductive state to a conductive state upon receipt of the command;
(iii) alter the state of the switch from the conductive state to the nonconductive state upon receipt of a termination command;wherein the switch input is ohmically coupled to the NFC antenna when the switch is in the conductive state and the nonconductive state; and wherein power is provided from the NFC antenna to the battery via the switch output when the switch is in the conductive state. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An apparatus comprising:
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a sealed package; a point of sale device located inside the sealed package; a secure microcontroller located in the point of sale device; a first battery;
(i) located in the point of sale device; and
(ii) ohmically coupled to the secure microcontroller;an electrically programmable memory in the point of sale device storing a status code for the point of sale device; an NFC antenna located in the point of sale device and communicatively coupled to the secure microcontroller; an NFC front end chip; a second battery; a power routing switch having a switch input and a switch output; a set of instructions stored on the secure microcontroller to; process payment information received from the NFC antenna; and write the status code to the electrically programmable memory; wherein the status code is accessible from outside the sealed package via the NFC antenna; wherein the NFC front end chip stores instructions to;
(i) receive a command from the NFC antenna when the NFC front end chip is in a card emulator mode;
(ii) alter a state of the switch from a nonconductive state to a conductive state upon receipt of the command;
(iii) alter the state of the switch from the conductive state to the nonconductive state upon receipt of a termination command;wherein the switch input is ohmically coupled to the second battery when the switch is in the conductive state and the nonconductive state; and wherein power is provided from the second battery to the secure microcontroller when the switch is in the conductive state. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An apparatus comprising:
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a sealed package; a device located inside the sealed package; a microcontroller located in the device; a battery;
(i) located in the device; and
(ii) ohmically coupled to the microcontroller;an electrically programmable memory in the device storing a status code for the device; and an NFC antenna located in the device and communicatively coupled to the microcontroller; a power routing switch having a switch input and a switch output; an NFC front end chip; a second battery; wherein the switch input is ohmically coupled to the NFC antenna when the switch is in a conductive state and a nonconductive state; wherein power is provided from the NFC antenna to the battery via the switch output when the switch is in the conductive state; and wherein the status code is accessible from outside the sealed package via the NFC antenna; wherein the NFC front end chip stores instructions to;
(i) receive a command from the NFC antenna when the NFC front end chip is in a card emulator mode;
(ii) alter a state of the switch from a nonconductive state to a conductive state upon receipt of the command;
(iii) alter the state of the switch from the conductive state to the nonconductive state upon receipt of a termination command;wherein the switch input is ohmically coupled to the second battery when the switch is in the conductive state and the nonconductive state; and wherein power is provided from the second battery to the microcontroller when the switch is in the conductive state. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification