APPARATUS AND METHOD USING NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20080238610A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Einar Rosenberg
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Einar
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/223 based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A near field communications enabled mobile communication is used to provide or receive information.

Claims

1. A method for using a near field communication device to order a product or service, comprising:

reading by a near field communication enabled device information associated with a product or service; and

using said information about said product to order said product for purchase or information about the service to order the service or order the service using said near field communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of reading further comprises:

reading a near field communication tag associated with said product or service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of using said information further comprises:

communicating with a server associated with a retailer; and

causing a purchase to be processed or a service to be requested.

4. A method for using a near field communication device to gather information about a product or service, comprising:

reading by a near field communication device information associated with a product or service; and

using said information about said product or service to provide product information to a user of said near field communication device about said product or service on said near field communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of reading further comprises:

reading a near field communication tag associated with said product or service.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of using said information further comprises:

requesting information about said product or service from a third party using said information to request second information about said product or service; and

receiving said second information about said product or service.

7. A product or service information device, comprising:

a product or service; and

a near field communication tag located near said product or service, said near field communication tag including first information associated with said product.

8. A product or service information device of claim 7, wherein said first information includes information describing the product or service.

9. A product or service information device of claim 7, wherein said first information includes information describing how to purchase the product or service.

10. A product or service information device of claim 9, wherein said first information includes information describing a retailer of the product or service.

11. A product or service information device of claim 10, wherein said first information includes information describing a computer server system associated with the retailer of the product or service.

12. A system for paging a customer, comprising:

a near field communication reader configured to communicate with a near field communication enabled mobile communication device associated with a customer and receive contact information for said mobile communication device; and

a computer server system for maintaining and processing a service queue, said computer server system coupled to said near field communication reader, said computer server system configured to receive said contact information from said near field communication reader;

said computer server system configured such that at an appropriate time to cause communication to said mobile communication device of said customer using said contact information.

13. The system for paging a customer of claim 12, wherein said computer server system includes said near field communication reader.

14. The system for paging a customer of claim 12, wherein said appropriate time is when said customer would be a next customer to be serviced.

15. The system for paging a customer of claim 12, wherein said appropriate time is when said customer would be a predetermined number of people from a next customer to be serviced.

16. A method of queuing a customer, comprising the steps of:

reading by a near field communication reader of a service a near field communication enabled mobile communication device associated with said customer and receiving contact information for said mobile communication device;

adding said customer to a queue;

monitoring said queue; and

causing communication at an appropriate time to said mobile communication device of said customer using contact information of said mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

receiving updating information about said queue.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

updating customer'"'"'s place in said queue.

19. A system for paging an employee of a business, comprising:

a near field communication tag located in said business configured to provide a near field communication enabled mobile communication device associated with a customer with contact information for said business;

said near field communication tag configured to provide location information of said near field communication tag.

20. The system for paging an employee of a business of claim 19, further comprising:

a computer server system associated with said contact information for said business and associated with said business for maintaining and processing business location and employee information;

said computer server system configured to receive a communication from a customer including said location information;

said computer server system configured to cause communication to said business based on said location information.

21. The system for paging an employee of a business of claim 20, wherein said computer server system is configured to determine a currently on-duty employee associated with said location information;

said computer server system being configured to determine contact information of said on-duty employee; and

said computer server system being configured to cause communication with said on-duty employee and provide location information of said customer.

22. A method for paging an employee of a business, comprising the steps of:

providing, to a near field communication enabled mobile communication device of a customer located near a near field communication tag, contact information for said business and location information of said near field communication tag.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the acts of:

receiving, by a computer server system associated with said contact information for said business and associated with said business for maintaining and processing business location and employee information, said contact information from said customer; and

causing, by said computer server system, communication to said business based on said business and location information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said causing by said computer server system communication to said business further comprises the acts of:

determining by said computer server system a currently on-duty employee associated with said location information;

determining by said computer server system contact information of said on-duty employee; and

causing communications with said on-duty employee to provide location information of said customer.

25. A method of providing access to a secure facility, comprising the steps of:

receiving by a key server a request for an electronic key;

receiving by said key server information identifying a lock corresponding to the request;

determining by the key server an electronic key that corresponds to the lock; and

causing by said key server the electronic key to be provided to a near field communications enabled mobile communication device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

receiving by a near field communications enabled lock said key from said near field communications enabled mobile communication device;

causing said key to be provided to a lock server associated with said lock;

receiving by said lock a signal from said lock server indicating whether the key is the correct key for said lock; and

upon said lock receiving a signal indicating that the key is correct, unlocking said lock.

27. A system for providing access to a secure facility, comprising:

a door having a lock mechanism and a near field communication system;

an electronic key server configured to maintain lock information and corresponding key information, said electronic key server configured to receive a request for a key, said key server configured to determine a key based on information about said lock, said key server configured to receive communications from and cause communications to a near field communications enabled mobile communication device; and

a lock server configured to maintain lock information and corresponding key information, said lock server configured to receive communications from and cause communications to said door, said lock server configured to receive a key from said door, said lock server configured to determine whether said received key corresponds to a lock and provide the result of that determination to said door.

28. A method for accessing a secure facility, comprising:

causing by a near field communications enabled mobile communication device a request for an electronic key to be communicated to a key server;

receiving by said near field communications enabled mobile communication device a key in response to said request from key server; and

causing by said near field communications enabled mobile communication device said key to be communicated through a near field communication system to a near field communication system of a lock system of a door.

29. The method for accessing a secure facility of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving, through near field communications by a mobile communication device, from said near field communication system of said lock system, identification information of said lock system; and

causing by said near field communications enabled mobile communication device said identification information of said lock system to be communicated to said key server.

30. The method for accessing a secure facility of claim 29, further comprising:

causing by said near field communications enabled mobile communication device a second request for an electronic key to be communicated to a second key server;

receiving by said near field communications enabled mobile communication device a second key in response to said request from second key server; and

causing by said near field communications enabled mobile communication device said key to be communicated through a near field communication system to a near field communication system of a second lock system of a door.

31. The method for accessing a secure facility of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving, through near field communications by said near field communications enabled mobile communication device from said near field communication system of said second lock system, second identification information of said second lock system; and

causing by said near field communications enabled mobile communication device said identification information of said second lock system to be communicated to said second key server.

32. The method for accessing a secure facility of claim 31, wherein said second key server is the same as second first key server.

33. A method for using a mobile communication device having near filed communications to receive information, comprising:

reading by a mobile communication near field communication device first information about a product; and

using said first information by said near field communication device to request second information about said product.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of:

using said mobile communication device to provide said second information to a user.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said second information is one an of audio stream, video stream, and flash file.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein said second information is a connection to a remote server, which runs an application through said mobile communication device.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein said second information is a connection is a thin client.