NEAR-FIELD COMMUNICATION (NFC) SYSTEM PROVIDING MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE OPERATIONS BASED UPON TIMING AND SEQUENCE OF NFC SENSOR COMMUNICATION AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20110212688A1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: GRIFFIN, JASON T., Carbonell Duque, Santiago, Bender, Christopher Lyle, Pasquero, Jerome, Fyke, Steven Henry, Walker, David Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,670,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A near-field communication (NFC) system may include a plurality of spaced-apart NFC sensors and at least one mobile wireless communications device. The at least one mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, an NFC circuit carried by the portable housing and configured to establish NFC communications with the NFC sensors when moved in close proximity therewith, and a controller carried by the portable housing and coupled to the NFC circuit. The controller may be configured to perform different mobile device operations based upon a timing and sequence in which the NFC sensors are communicated with.

Claims

1. A near-field communication (NFC) system comprising:

a plurality of spaced-apart NFC sensors; and

at least one mobile wireless communications device comprising

a portable housing,

an NFC circuit carried by said portable housing and configured to establish NFC communications with said NFC sensors when moved in close proximity therewith, and

a first controller carried by said portable housing and coupled to said NFC circuit and configured to perform different mobile device operations based upon a timing and sequence in which said NFC sensors are communicated with.

2. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein the different mobile device operations comprise different media playback operations.

3. The NFC system of claim 2 wherein the different media playback operations comprise different audio playback operations.

4. The NFC system of claim 3 wherein said first controller is configured to move forward and backward through an audio track based upon different communication sequences with said NFC sensors.

5. The NFC system of claim 3 wherein said first controller is configured to skip forward and backward between different audio tracks based upon different communication sequences with said NFC sensors.

6. The NFC system of claim 2 wherein the different media playback operations comprise controlling different media volume operations.

7. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein the different mobile device operations comprise different mobile device authentication operations.

8. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile wireless communications device further comprises a wireless transceiver coupled to said first controller;

and wherein the different mobile device operations comprise initiating and discontinuing communications via said wireless transceiver.

9. The NFC system of claim 1 further comprising a second controller configured to perform a plurality of different remote operations also based upon the timing and sequence in which said NFC sensors are communicated with.

10. The NFC system of claim 9 wherein the different remote operations comprise different media playback operations.

11. The NFC system of claim 1 further comprising a substrate carrying said plurality of spaced-apart NFC sensors.

12. The NFC system of claim 11 wherein said substrate comprises an article of clothing.

13. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile wireless communications device comprises a plurality thereof configured to perform the different mobile device operations based upon said portable housings being moved in respective sequences.

14. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of spaced-apart NFC sensors are arranged in a grid.

15. A near-field communication (NFC) system comprising:

a plurality of spaced-apart NFC sensors;

an NFC circuit configured to establish NFC communications with said NFC sensors when moved in close proximity therewith; and

a controller coupled to said plurality of spaced-apart NFC sensors and configured to perform a plurality of different remote operations based upon a timing and sequence in which said NFC sensors are communicated with.

16. The NFC system of claim 15 wherein the different remote operations comprise different media playback operations.

17. The NFC system of claim 16 wherein the different media playback operations comprise different audio playback operations.

18. The NFC system of claim 17 wherein said controller is configured to move forward and backward through an audio track based upon different communication sequences with said NFC sensors.

19. The NFC system of claim 17 wherein said controller is configured to skip forward and backward between different audio tracks based upon a different communication sequences with said NFC sensors.

20. The NFC system of claim 16 wherein the different media playback operations comprise controlling different volume operations.

21. The NFC system of claim 15 further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said controller;

and wherein the different remote operations comprise initiating and discontinuing communications via said wireless transceiver.

22. A mobile wireless communications device for use with a plurality of spaced-apart near-field communication (NFC) sensors and comprising:

a portable housing;

an NFC circuit carried by said portable housing and configured to establish NFC communications with the NFC sensors when moved in close proximity therewith; and

a controller carried by said portable housing and coupled to said NFC circuit and configured to perform different mobile device operations based upon a timing and sequence in which said NFC sensors are communicated with.

23. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 22 wherein the different mobile device operations comprise different media playback operations.

24. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 22 wherein the different mobile device operations comprise different mobile device authentication operations.

25. A near-field communication (NFC) method for use with a plurality of spaced-apart NFC sensors and at least one mobile wireless communications device comprising a portable housing and an NFC circuit carried by the portable housing, the method comprising:

establishing NFC communications between the NFC circuit and the NFC sensors when the NFC circuit is moved in close proximity with the NFC sensors; and

performing different mobile device operations based upon a timing and sequence in which the NFC sensors are communicated with.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the different mobile device operations comprise different media playback operations.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the different media playback operations comprise different audio playback operations.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the different audio playback operations comprise moving forward and backward through an audio track based upon different communication sequences with said NFC sensors.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the different audio playback operations comprise skipping forward and backward between different audio tracks based upon different communication sequences with said NFC sensors.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the different media playback operations comprise controlling different media volume operations.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the different mobile device operations comprise different mobile device authentication operations.