Efficient near field communication (NFC) tag detection and related methods

• US 10,128,912 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hagedorn, J. David
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/275,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20180091193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to efficient near field communication (NFC) tag detection and related methods. In accordance with one example, there is provided a method of communication between a mobile wireless communications device and near field communication (NFC) tags, comprising: polling for NFC devices at a default rate; detecting an NFC tag in response to the polling at the default rate; when the detected NFC tag was previously detected a first threshold number of times within a first threshold duration, polling for NFC devices at a reduced polling rate.

Claims

1. A method of communication between a mobile wireless communications device and near field communication (NFC) devices, comprising:

polling for NFC devices at a default rate;

detecting a first NFC device in response to the polling at the default rate;

when the first NFC device has been previously detected a first threshold number of times within a first threshold duration, polling for NFC devices at a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device is re-detected a second threshold number of times within a second threshold duration in response to polling at the reducing polling rate, polling for NFC devices at a further reduced default rate;

when a second NFC device is detected in response to polling at the reducing polling rate, resuming polling for NFC devices at the default rate after interacting with the NFC device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced polling rate is less than the default polling rate, and the further reduced polling rate is less than the reduced polling rate.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the first NFC device was previously detected a first threshold number of times within a first threshold duration, delaying the resumption of polling by a first delay, wherein polling for NFC devices at the reduced polling rate is performed after the first delay.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when the first NFC device is re-detected a second threshold number of times within a second threshold duration, delaying the resumption of polling by a second delay, wherein polling for NFC devices at the further reduced polling rate is performed after the second delay.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first delay and the second delay are the same.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the second NFC device is detected, resuming polling for NFC devices without delay after interacting with the NFC device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining based on data received from the first NFC device whether the first NFC device corresponds to a previously detected NFC device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the first NFC device continues to be detected and the current polling rate is greater than a minimum polling rate, polling for NFC devices at a progressively lower polling rates at periodic intervals until the minimum polling rate is reached.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold number of times and the second threshold number of times is once.

10. A method of communication between a mobile wireless communications device and near field communication (NFC) devices, comprising:

polling for NFC devices at a default rate;

detecting an NFC device in response to the polling at the default rate;

when the first NFC device has been previously detected a first threshold number of times within a first threshold duration, polling for NFC devices at a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device was previously detected within the first threshold duration, changing the value of a polling rate stored in a memory of the mobile wireless communications device from the default polling rate to a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device is re-detected a second threshold number of times within a second threshold duration, changing the value of the polling rate stored in the memory of the mobile wireless communications device from the reduced polling rate to the further reduced polling rate.

11. A mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

a processor;

a near field communication (NFC) subsystem for communicating with NFC devices; and

a memory having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the mobile wireless communications device to;

poll for NFC devices at a default rate;

detect an NFC device in response to the polling at the default rate;

when the first NFC device has been previously detected a first threshold number of times within a first threshold duration, poll for NFC devices at a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device is re-detected a second threshold number of times within a second threshold duration in response to polling at the reducing polling rate, poll for NFC devices at a further reduced default rate;

when a second NFC device is detected in response to polling at the reducing polling rate, resume polling for NFC devices at the default rate after interacting with the NFC device.

12. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11, wherein the reduced polling rate is less than the default polling rate, and the further reduced polling rate is less than the reduced polling rate.

13. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the mobile wireless communications device to:

when the first NFC device was previously detected a first threshold number of times within a first threshold duration, delay the resumption of polling by a first delay, wherein polling for NFC devices at the reduced polling rate is performed after the first delay.

14. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the mobile wireless communications device to:

when the first NFC device is re-detected a second threshold number of times within a second threshold duration, delay the resumption of polling by a second delay, wherein polling for NFC devices at the further reduced polling rate is performed after the second delay.

15. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the mobile wireless communications device to:

when the second NFC device is detected, resume polling for NFC devices without delay after interacting with the NFC device.

16. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the mobile wireless communications device to:

when the first NFC device was previously detected within the first threshold duration, change the value of a polling rate stored in a memory of the mobile wireless communications device from the default polling rate to a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device is re-detected a second threshold number of times within a second threshold duration, change the value of the polling rate stored in the memory of the mobile wireless communications device from the reduced polling rate to the further reduced polling rate.

17. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the mobile wireless communications device to:

when the first NFC device continues to be detected and the current polling rate is greater than a minimum polling rate, polling for NFC devices at a progressively lower polling rates at periodic intervals until the minimum polling rate is reached.

18. A non-transitory machine readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions for execution by a processor of a mobile wireless communications device, the mobile wireless communications device comprising a near field communication (NFC) subsystem for communicating with NFC devices, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by a processor of a mobile wireless communications device, cause the mobile wireless communications device to:

poll for NFC devices at a default rate;

detect an NFC device in response to the polling at the default rate;

when the first NFC device has been previously detected a first threshold number of times within a first threshold duration, poll for NFC devices at a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device is re-detected a second threshold number of times within a second threshold duration in response to polling at the reducing polling rate, polling for NFC devices at a further reduced default rate;

when a second NFC device is detected in response to polling at the reducing polling rate, resuming polling for NFC devices at the default rate after interacting with the NFC device.

19. A mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

a processor;

a near field communication (NFC) subsystem for communicating with NFC devices; and

a memory having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the mobile wireless communications device to;

poll for NFC devices at a default rate;

detect an NFC device in response to the polling at the default rate;

when the first NFC device has been previously detected a first threshold number of times within a first threshold duration, poll for NFC devices at a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device was previously detected within the first threshold duration, changing the value of a polling rate stored in a memory of the mobile wireless communications device from the default polling rate to a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device is re-detected a second threshold number of times within a second threshold duration, changing the value of the polling rate stored in the memory of the mobile wireless communications device.

20. A non-transitory machine readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions for execution by a processor of a mobile wireless communications device, the mobile wireless communications device comprising a near field communication (NFC) subsystem for communicating with NFC devices, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by a processor of a mobile wireless communications device, cause the mobile wireless communications device to:

poll for NFC devices at a default rate;

detect an NFC device in response to the polling at the default rate;

when the first NFC device has been previously detected a first threshold number of times within a first threshold duration, poll for NFC devices at a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device was previously detected within the first threshold duration, changing the value of a polling rate stored in a memory of the mobile wireless communications device from the default polling rate to a reduced polling rate;

when the first NFC device is re-detected a second threshold number of times within a second threshold duration, changing the value of the polling rate stored in the memory of the mobile wireless communications device.