Management of near field communications using low power modes of an electronic device

• US 10,257,780 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Khan, Ahmer A., Linde, Joakim, Hakim, Joseph, Rosen, Zachary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorowar, Golam
• Application Number:
  US15/463,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3278 Power saving in modem or I/O interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for managing near field communications during a low power management mode of an electronic device are provided that may make credentials of a near field communication (“NFC”) component appropriately secure and appropriately accessible while also limiting the power consumption of the NFC component and of other components of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic device comprising:

detecting a low power mode initiation event;

in response to the detection of the low power mode initiation event, disabling an input component of the electronic device;

while the input component is disabled, identifying an authentication initiation event with the electronic device, wherein the identifying the authentication initiation event comprises detecting a near field communication terminal with the electronic device; and

in response to the identification of the authentication initiation event, re-enabling the input component of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input component comprises a touch sensitive surface operative to receive touch input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the authentication initiation event comprises receiving a user input with another input component of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input component is a biometric sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the input component is a scanner.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input component is a camera.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input component is a button.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the re-enabling, receiving authentication information with the re-enabled input component; and

enabling a near field communication component of the electronic device using the received authentication information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the enabling comprises activating an applet of a credential that is provisioned on the near field communication component.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the input component is a biometric sensor.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the input component is at least one button.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the input component is a touch screen.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising, after the detection of the near field communication terminal but before the receiving the authentication information, using an output component of the electronic device to request user authorization of the near field communication component.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to the detection of the low power mode initiation event, disabling an output component of the electronic device; and

after the detection of the near field communication terminal but before the receiving the authentication information;

re-enabling the output component of the electronic device; and

requesting user authorization of the near field communication component with the re-enabled output component.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the low power mode initiation event comprises one of:

receiving a user input on the input component of the electronic device; and

detecting that a power level of a power supply of the electronic device is below a particular threshold.

15. A method of operating an electronic device comprising:

detecting a low power mode initiation event;

in response to the detection of the low power mode initiation event, disabling an input component of the electronic device;

while the input component is disabled, identifying an authentication initiation event with the electronic device;

in response to the identification of the authentication initiation event, re-enabling the input component of the electronic device;

after the re-enabling, receiving authentication information with the re-enabled input component; and

enabling a near field communication component of the electronic device using the received authentication information, wherein;

the identifying the authentication initiation event comprises receiving a user input with another input component of the electronic device;

the other input component is a button; and

the input component is a biometric sensor.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a near field communication component;

an input component; and

a processor configured to;

detect a low power mode initiation event;

disable the input component in response to the detection of the low power mode initiation event;

when the input component is disabled, detect a near field communication terminal with the near field communication component; and

in response to the detection of the near field communication terminal with the electronic device, re-enable the input component.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive authentication information with the re-enabled input component; and

enable a portion of the near field communication component of the electronic device using the received authentication information.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

detecting a low power mode initiation event on an electronic device; and

in response to the detecting the low power mode initiation event;

disabling an input component of the electronic device;

detecting a near field communication terminal with the electronic device while the input component is disabled; and

in response to the detecting the near field communication terminal, re-enabling the input component.