MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE ESTABLISHING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION LINKS BASED UPON NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20120077432A1
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rose, Scott Douglas, Carbonell Duque, Santiago, Moosavi, Vahid, Bender, Christopher Lyle, Walker, David Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/47 using near field communication [NFC] or radio frequency identification [RFID] modules

Abstract

A wireless communications system may include first and second mobile wireless communications devices each comprising a respective input device, wireless transceiver, near-field communication (NFC) transceiver, and controller coupled to the input device, wireless transceiver and NFC transceiver. At least one of the controllers may be configured to establish an NFC communications link between the NFC transceivers when the first and second mobile wireless communications devices are in proximity, provide a temporary device identifier (ID) via the NFC communications link, request authorization to establish a wireless link between the wireless transceivers, provide a permanent device ID upon receiving the authorization and based upon the temporary device ID, and establish the wireless link between the wireless transceivers based upon the permanent device ID.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system comprising:

a first mobile wireless communications device comprising a first input device, a first wireless transceiver, a first near-field communication (NFC) transceiver, and a first controller coupled to said first input device, said first wireless transceiver and said first NFC transceiver; and

a second mobile wireless communications device comprising a second input device, a second wireless transceiver, a second NFC transceiver, and a second controller coupled to said second input device, said second wireless transceiver and said second NFC transceiver;

wherein at least one of said first controller and said second controller is configured to

establish an NFC communications link between said first NFC transceiver and said second NFC transceiver when said first mobile wireless communications device and second mobile wireless communications device are in proximity,

provide a temporary device identifier (ID) via the NFC communications link,

request authorization to establish a wireless link between said first wireless transceiver and said second wireless transceiver,

provide a permanent device ID upon receiving the authorization and based upon the temporary device ID, and

establish the wireless link between said first wireless transceiver and said second wireless transceiver based upon the permanent device ID.

2. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first mobile wireless communications device or said second mobile wireless communications device comprises a display coupled to one of said first controller and said second controller, the display being configured to display the request for authorization.

3. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein each of said first wireless transceiver and said second wireless transceiver comprises a Personal Area Network (PAN) transceiver.

4. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein each of said first wireless transceiver and said second wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

5. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein the temporary device identifier comprises a pseudorandom number.

6. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein the permanent device ID comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

7. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first input device or said second input device comprises an input key.

8. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first input device or said second input device comprises a touchscreen display.

9. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first controller and said second controller is further configured to:

exchange data via the wireless link and terminate the wireless link upon a conclusion of the data exchange; and

purge the permanent device ID upon termination of the wireless link.

10. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein said first mobile wireless communications device comprises a first cellular transceiver coupled with said first controller and wherein said second mobile wireless communications device comprises a second cellular transceiver coupled with said second controller.

11. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first controller and said second controller is configured to request authorization to establish the wireless link between said first wireless transceiver and said second wireless transceiver via respective input devices.

12. A mobile wireless communication device comprising:

an input device;

a wireless transceiver;

a near-field communication (NFC) transceiver; and

a controller coupled to said input device, said wireless transceiver, and said NFC transceiver and configured to

establish an NFC communications link between said NFC transceiver and an NFC-enabled device when in proximity thereto,

provide a temporary device identifier (ID) via the NFC communications link,

request authorization to establish a wireless link between said wireless transceiver and said NFC-enabled device,

provide a permanent device ID to the NFC-enabled device upon receiving the authorization and based upon the temporary device ID, and

establish the wireless link between said wireless transceiver and said NFC-enabled device based upon the permanent device ID.

13. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 further comprising a display coupled to said controller, the display being configured to display the request for authorization.

14. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein said wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

15. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein the temporary device identifier comprises a pseudorandom number.

16. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein the permanent device ID comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

17. A wireless communications method for a first mobile wireless communications device comprising a first input device, a first wireless transceiver, a first near-field communication (NFC) transceiver, and a second mobile wireless communications device comprising a second input device, a second wireless transceiver, a second NFC transceiver, the method comprising:

establishing an NFC communications link between the first NFC transceiver and the second NFC transceiver when the first mobile wireless communications device and second mobile wireless communications device are in proximity;

providing a temporary device identifier (ID) via the NFC communications link;

requesting an authorization to establish a wireless link between the first wireless transceiver and the second wireless transceiver;

providing a permanent device ID upon receiving the authorization and based upon the temporary device ID; and

establishing the wireless link between the first wireless transceiver and the second wireless transceiver based upon the permanent device ID.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the first mobile wireless communications device or the second mobile wireless communications device comprises a display;

and

further comprising displaying the request for authorization on the display.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein each of the first wireless transceiver and the second wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the temporary device identifier comprises a pseudorandom number.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the permanent device ID comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a mobile wireless communication device comprising an input device, a wireless transceiver, and a near-field communication (NFC) transceiver to perform steps comprising:

establishing an NFC communications link between the NFC transceiver and an NFC-enabled device when in proximity thereto;

providing a temporary device identifier (ID) via the NFC communications link;

requesting authorization to establish a wireless link between the wireless transceiver and the NFC-enabled device;

providing a permanent device ID to the NFC-enabled device upon receiving the authorization and based upon the temporary device ID; and

establishing the wireless link between the wireless transceiver and the NFC-enabled device based upon the permanent device ID.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the mobile wireless communications device further comprises a display;

and further having computer-executable instructions for causing the display to display the request for authorization.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the temporary device identifier comprises a pseudorandom number.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the permanent device ID comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address.