COMMUNICATION SYSTEM PROVIDING DATA TRANSFER DIRECTION DETERMINATION BASED UPON MOTION AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20120135680A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: DELUCA, Michael Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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

Abstract

A communication system may include at least one electronic device configured to wirelessly communicate via a short-range communications format, and at least one mobile communications device. The at least one mobile communications device may include a short-range communications device configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one electronic device via the short-range communications format, and a controller coupled to the short-range communications device. The controller may be configured to determine a state of movement of the at least mobile communications device, and determine a direction of communication with respect to the at least one electronic device based upon the determined state of movement.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

at least one electronic device configured to wirelessly communicate via a short-range communications format; and

at least one mobile communications device comprising

a short-range communications device configured to wirelessly communicate with said at least one electronic device via the short-range communications format, and

a controller coupled to said short-range communications device, the controller being configured to

determine a state of movement of said at least one mobile communications device, and

determine a direction of communication with respect to said at least one electronic device based upon the determined state of movement.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile communications device further comprises a movement detection sensor coupled to said controller;

and wherein said controller is further configured to determine the state of movement of said at least one mobile communications device based upon said movement detection sensor.

3. The communication system of claim 2 wherein said movement detection sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer, an optical sensor, a gyroscope or a compass.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to transmit digital content data to said at least one electronic device based upon determined movement of said at least one mobile communications device.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to receive digital content data from said at least one electronic device based upon substantially no movement of said at least one mobile communications device.

6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to receive digital content data from said at least one electronic device based upon being moved away therefrom.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile communications device further comprises a housing carrying said short-range communications device and said controller;

and wherein said controller is further configured to determine an impact to said housing, and determine the direction of communication with respect to said at least one electronic device based upon the determined impact to said housing.

8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to determine a magnitude of movement of said at least one mobile communications device, and determine the direction of communication with respect to said at least one electronic device based upon the determined magnitude of movement.

9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electronic device is further configured to determine movement thereof;

and wherein said at least one electronic device and said controller are configured to exchange digital content data therebetween based upon respective determined movement.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said short-range communications device comprises a Near-Field Communication (NFC) device.

11. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said mobile communications device further comprises a wireless transceiver carried by said housing, the wireless transceiver being configured to communicate via a wireless communications network.

13. The mobile communications device of claim 11 further comprising a movement detection sensor coupled to said controller;

and wherein said controller is further configured to determine the state of movement of the mobile communications device based upon said movement detection sensor.

14. The mobile communications device of claim 11 wherein said controller is configured to transmit digital content data to said at least one electronic device based upon determined movement of the mobile communications device, and to receive digital content data from said at least one electronic device based upon substantially no movement of said at least one mobile communications device.

15. The mobile communications device of claim 11 further comprising a housing carrying said short-range communications device and said controller;

and wherein said controller is further configured to determine an impact to said housing, and determine the direction of communication with respect to said at least one electronic device also based upon the determined impact to said portable housing.

16. The mobile communications device of claim 11 wherein said controller is configured to determine a magnitude of movement of said at least one mobile communications device, and determine the direction of communication with respect to said at least one electronic device also based upon the determined magnitude of movement.

17. The mobile communications device of claim 11 wherein said short-range communications device comprises a Near-Field Communication (NFC) circuit.

19. The communication method of claim 17 wherein the at least one mobile communications device further comprises a movement detection sensor coupled to the controller;

and wherein determining the state of movement comprises determining the state of movement of the at least one mobile communications device based upon the movement detection sensor.

20. The communication method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting digital content data from the at least one mobile communications device to the at least one electronic device based upon determined movement of the at least one mobile communications device, and receiving digital content data at the at least one mobile communications device from the at least one electronic device based upon substantially no movement of the at least one mobile communications device.

21. The communication method of claim 16 wherein the at least one mobile communications device further comprises a housing carrying the short-range communications device and the controller;

and the communication method of claim 16 further comprising determining an impact to the housing, and wherein said determining the direction of communication further comprises determining the direction of communication with respect to the at least one electronic device also based upon the determined impact to the portable housing.

22. The communication method of claim 16 further comprising determining a magnitude of movement of the at least one mobile communications device;

and wherein said determining the direction of communication further comprises determining the direction of communications with respect to the at least one electronic device based upon the determined magnitude of movement.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the mobile communications device further comprises a movement detection sensor;

and wherein determining the state of movement further comprises determining the state of movement of the mobile communications device based upon the movement detection sensor.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21 further having computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile communications device to perform steps comprising:

transmitting digital content data to the at least one electronic device based upon determined movement of the mobile communications device; and

receiving digital content data from the at least one electronic device based upon substantially no movement of the at least one mobile communications device.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the mobile communications device further comprises a housing carrying the short-range communications device;

wherein the computer-readable medium further has computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile communications device to perform a step comprising determining an impact to the housing; and

wherein said determining the direction of communication further comprises determining the direction of communication with respect to the at least one electronic device also based upon the determined impact to the housing.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21 further having computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile communications device to perform a step of determining a magnitude of movement of the mobile communications device;

and wherein said determining the direction of communication comprises determining the direction of communication with respect to the at least one electronic device also based upon the determined magnitude of movement.

12. A mobile communications device comprising:

a short-range communications device being configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one electronic device via a short-range communications format; and

a controller coupled to said short-range communications device the controller being configured to

determine a state of movement of the mobile communications device, and

determine a direction of communication with respect to the at least one electronic device based upon the determined state of movement.

18. A communication method for at least one electronic device configured to wirelessly communicate via a short-range communications format, and at least one mobile communications device comprising a short-range communications device configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one electronic device via the short-range communications format, the method comprising:

determining a state of movement of the at least one mobile communications device; and

determining a direction of communication with respect to the at least one electronic device based upon the determined state of movement.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for a mobile communications device comprising a short-range communications device carried by the housing and configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one electronic device via a short-range communications format, the computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for causing the mobile communications device to perform steps comprising:

determining a state of movement of the mobile communications device; and

determining a direction of communication with respect to the at least one electronic device based upon the determined state of movement.