COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE AND METHOD FOR INITIATING COMMUNICATIONS AT A COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20110070827A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fyke, Steven H., Griffin, Jason T.
• Application Number:
  US12/565,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070827A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A communications device and method initiates communications at a communications device and includes magnetically coupling the communications device to a Near Field Communications (NFC) tag. In response to the magnetic coupling with the NFC tag, an NFC circuit contained in the communications device is activated for subsequent communications using the NFC communications protocol.

Claims

1. A communications device, comprising:

a processor;

a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit connected to the processor and configured to communicate using an NFC communications protocol; and

a magnetic sensor connected to the processor and configured to sense a magnetic field from an NFC tag and generate a signal to the processor; and

wherein the processor is configured to activate, in response to the signal, the NFC circuit to transmit or receive data using the NEC communications protocol.

2. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic sensor comprises a Hall Effect sensor.

3. The communications device according to claim 2, wherein said processor is configured to receive signals indicative of voltage variations within the Hall Effect sensor and based on the voltage variations activates the NEC circuit.

4. The communications device according to claim 2, wherein said Hall Effect sensor is operative in adjacent, non-contact relation to a magnet.

5. The communications device according to claim 1, and further comprising a magnet that is sensed by a magnetic sensor carried in a separate communications device or NEC tag when in proximity for device-to-device communication.

6. A method for initiating communications at a communications device, the method comprising:

magnetically coupling the communications device to a Near Field Communications (NFC) tag; and

in response to the magnetically coupling to the NFC tag, activating an NFC circuit contained in the communications device for subsequent communications using the NFC communications protocol.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising receiving stored data from the NFC tag;

and

processing the stored data at the communications device.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising activating the NFC circuit when it engages the NEC tag.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising activating the NEC circuit when the communications device is about 7 mm or less from the NFC tag.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising exchanging secure data between the NEC tag and the communications device using the NFC communications protocol.

11. The method according to claim 6, further comprising sensing a magnet located on the NEC tag using a Hall Effect sensor carried by the communications device.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising sensing voltage variations from the Hall Effect sensor within a processor of the communications device to determine that the NEC circuit should be activated.

13. The method according to claim 6, further comprising exchanging data between the communications device and the NFC tag as an electronic business card holder.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising displaying on the communications device the business card data stored within the electronic business card holder.

15. The method according to claim 6, further comprising transmitting communication protocol data between the NFC tag and communications device for establishing a wireless communications connection other than the NFC communications protocol.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising forming the NFC tag as a second communications device that communicates with the communications device using a wireless communications connection other than the NFC communications protocol.

17. The method according to claim 6, further comprising forming the communications device as a portable wireless communications device.

18. A method for initiating communications at a communications device, the method comprising:

sensing a magnet on a Near Field Communications (NFC) tag using a magnetic sensor carried by the communications device; and

in response to sensing the magnet, activating an NFC circuit carried by the communications device for subsequent communications using an NFC communications protocol.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising forming the NFC tag to be mounted on a support surface.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

receiving stored data from the NFC tag; and

processing the stored data at the communications device.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising displaying data stored within the NFC tag on a display of the communications device.

22. The method according to claim 18, further comprising exchanging data between the NFC tag and the communications device.

23. The method according to claim 18, further comprising forming the communications device as a portable wireless communications device.

24. The method according to claim 18, further comprising sensing the magnet using a Hall Effect sensor carried by the communications device.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising sensing voltage variations at the Hall Effect sensor and processing the voltage variations within a processor carried by the communications device for determining that the NFC circuit should be activated.