Mobile terminal and method for near field communication

• US 10,299,097 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• 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:
  US16/113,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• 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 terminal comprising:

a controller chip configured to control hardware and operation of the mobile terminal;

a display;

an RF antenna; and

a near field communication (NFC) module electrically connected to the RF antenna and configured to perform processing for NFC communication with external NFC-enabled devices;

wherein upon receipt of a first RF signal from a first NFC-enabled device via an NFC tagging between the mobile terminal and the first NFC-enabled device, the NFC module is configured to process the first RF signal to obtain a first command of the first NFC-enabled device that requests a responsive action by the mobile terminal,

wherein subsequent to obtaining the first command, the NFC module is configured to communicate to the controller chip regarding the first command of the first NFC-enabled device,

wherein upon receipt of the first command from the NFC module, the controller chip is configured to do a processing to perform the responsive action requested by the first command of the first NFC-enabled device and further configured to send a processing result of the controller chip to the NFC module,

wherein in response to the processing result from the controller chip, the NFC module is configured to generate a responsive RF signal based on the processing result of the controller chip, and the RF antenna is configured to transmit the responsive RF signal to the first NFC-enabled device, and

wherein the mobile terminal is configured to display, on the display, information indicative of the processing result of the controller chip.

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

3. The mobile terminal 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 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 terminal of claim 3, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein the RF antenna is configured to receive the first RF signal from the first NFC-enabled device via the NFC tagging while the mobile terminal is not operating as an NFC reader, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein in response to receipt of the first RF signal at the RF antenna, the mobile terminal 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 terminal of claim 1, wherein in response to receipt of the first RF signal at the RF antenna, the NFC module is configured to perform signal and data processing with the first RF signal for generating a discretized command data signal,

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

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 terminal 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 terminal and send the responsive RF signal to the RF antenna for transmitting to the first NFC-enabled device.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the NFC module comprises a rectifier configured to supply electric power to one or more components of the mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal 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 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 terminal of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein in response to detection of the first RF signal at the RF antenna, the mobile terminal 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 terminal 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 NFC-enabled device, wherein the NFC module'"'"'s processing of the first RF signal comprises envelope detection, wherein the mobile terminal 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 processing.

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

the mobile terminal of claim 1; and

the first NFC-enabled device configured for NFC communication with the mobile terminal.

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

the mobile terminal of claim 2; and

the first NFC-enabled device configured for NFC communication with the mobile terminal.

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

the mobile terminal of claim 3; and

the first NFC-enabled device configured for NFC communication with the mobile terminal.

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

the mobile terminal of claim 4; and

the first NFC-enabled device configured for NFC communication with the mobile terminal.

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

the mobile terminal of claim 5; and

the first NFC-enabled device configured for NFC communication with the mobile terminal.

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

the mobile terminal of claim 6; and

the first NFC-enabled device configured for NFC communication with the mobile terminal.

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

the mobile terminal of claim 7; and

the first NFC-enabled device configured for NFC communication with the mobile terminal.

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

the mobile terminal of claim 8; and

the first NFC-enabled device configured for NFC communication with the mobile terminal.

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

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

tagging, with the mobile terminal, a first NFC-enabled device, which causes;

the RF antenna receives from the first NFC-enabled device a first RF signal that carries a first command of the first NFC-enabled device,

in response to receipt of the first RF signal, the NFC module processes the first RF signal to obtain the first command of the first NFC-enabled device that requests a responsive action by the mobile terminal,

subsequent to obtaining the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile terminal, the NFC module communicates to the controller chip regarding the first command of the first NFC-enabled device,

in response to the NFC module'"'"'s communication, the controller chip does a processing to perform the responsive action requested by the first command of the first NFC-enabled device and subsequently sends a processing result of the controller chip to the NFC module,

in response to the processing result from the controller chip, the NFC module generates a responsive RF signal based on the processing result of the controller chip, and the RF antenna transmits the responsive RF signal to the first NFC-enabled device,

wherein the mobile terminal displays, on the display, information indicative of the processing result of the controller chip.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

setting the first NFC-enabled device for generating the first RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile terminal 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.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

setting the first NFC-enabled device for generating the first RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile terminal.

13. The method of claim 9, 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 RF signal, the NFC module sends an interrupt signal from its IRQ output terminal to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

setting the first NFC-enabled device for generating the first RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile terminal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein the RF antenna receives the first RF signal from the first NFC-enabled device when tagging occurs while the mobile terminal is not operating as an NFC reader, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a power source external to the NFC module, wherein in response to detection of the first RF signal at the RF antenna, the mobile terminal supplies power to the NFC module.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

setting the first NFC-enabled device for generating the first RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile terminal.

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

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

setting the first NFC-enabled device for generating the first RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile terminal.

19. 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 terminal, wherein the mobile terminal 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 RF signal, the NFC module sends an interrupt signal from its IRQ output terminal to the IRQ input terminal of the controller chip.

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

wherein subsequent to generating the discretized command data signal, the NFC module sends the discretized command data signal to the controller chip,

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 terminal 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 terminal and sends the responsive RF signal to the RF antenna for transmitting to the first NFC-enabled device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

setting the first NFC-enabled device for generating the first RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile terminal.

22. 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 NFC-enabled device, wherein the NFC module'"'"'s processing of the first RF signal comprises envelope detection, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a USIM card electrically connected to the NFC module, wherein the NFC module communicates with the USIM card regarding the first command.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

setting the first NFC-enabled device for generating the first RF signal that carries the first command requesting the responsive action by the mobile terminal.