MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE HAVING A NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION (NFC) DEVICE AND PROVIDING MEMORY DISABLING AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20120252480A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Matton, Maxime, Carbonell Duque, Santiago, Krutt, Gereon
• Granted Patent: US 8,509,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device may include wireless transceiver circuitry and a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver circuitry. The mobile wireless communication device may also include a near-field communication (NFC) device coupled to the processor. The NFC device may include an NFC controller, an NFC transceiver coupled to the NFC controller, and a first memory coupled to the NFC controller and configured to store a first plurality of applications. The mobile wireless communications device may also include a second memory configured to store a second plurality of applications. The processor may be configured to select a given application on a respective one of the first and second memories and to disable the other one of the first and second memories.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processor coupled with said wireless transceiver;

a near-field communication (NFC) device coupled with said processor, the NFC device comprising

a NFC controller,

a NFC transceiver coupled with said NFC controller, and

a first memory coupled with said NFC controller, the first memory being capable of storing a first application; and

a second memory capable of storing a second application;

said processor being configured to select one of the first applications and the second application on a respective one of the first memory and the second memory and to disable the other one of the first memory and the second memory.

2. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the NFC transceiver is configured to operate using a first NFC communications protocol;

and wherein the processor is configured to select one of the first applications and the second application based upon a match with the first NFC communications protocol.

3. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising a position determining device coupled with said processor, the position determining device being configured to determine a geographic location of the mobile wireless communications device;

and wherein said processor is configured to select one of the first applications and the second application based upon the geographic location.

4. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising a light sensor coupled with said processor, the light sensor being configured to determine a light level;

and wherein said processor is configured to select one of the first applications and the second application based upon the light level.

5. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising a timer coupled with said processor, the timer being configured to determine a time;

and wherein said processor is configured to select one of the first applications and the second application based upon the time.

6. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first memory and the second memory comprises a secure element.

7. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said second memory is removably coupled with said processor.

8. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first applications and the second application comprises a financial payment application.

9. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first applications and the second application comprises a secure access application.

10. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said second memory comprises one of a secure digital memory card and a subscriber identity module.

11. A communications system comprising:

a near-field communication (NFC) terminal; and

a mobile wireless communications device configured to communicate with said NFC terminal and comprising

a wireless transceiver,

a processor coupled with said wireless transceiver,

a near-field communication (NFC) device coupled to said processor, said NFC device comprising

a NFC controller,

a NFC transceiver coupled to said NFC controller, and

a first memory coupled with said NFC controller and capable of storing a first plurality of applications for communicating with said NFC terminal,

and

a second memory capable of storing a second application for communicating with said NFC terminal,

said processor being configured to select one of the first applications and the second application on a respective one of said first and second memories and to disable the other one of the first memory and the second memory.

12. The communications system of claim 11 wherein said NFC transceiver is configured to operate using a first NFC communications protocol based upon said NFC terminal;

and wherein said processor is configured to select one of the first applications and the second application based upon a match with the first communications protocol.

13. The communications system of claim 11 wherein said mobile wireless communications device further comprises a position determining device coupled with said processor, the position determining device configured to determine a geographic location of the mobile wireless communications device;

and wherein said processor is configured to select one of the first applications and the second application based upon the geographic location.

14. The communications system of claim 11 wherein said mobile wireless communications device further comprises a light sensor coupled with said processor, the light sensor being configured to determine a light level;

and wherein said processor is configured to select one of the first applications and the second application based upon the light level.

15. The communications system of claim 11 wherein said mobile wireless communications device further comprises a timer coupled with said processor, the timer being configured to determine a time;

and wherein said processor is configured to select one of the first applications and the second application based upon the time.

16. The communications system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the first memory and the second memory comprises a secure element.

17. A communications method for a mobile wireless communications device comprising a wireless transceiver, a processor coupled with the wireless transceiver, a near-field communication (NFC) device coupled with the processor and comprising a NFC controller, a NFC transceiver coupled with the NFC controller, and a first memory coupled with the NFC controller and capable of storing a first plurality of applications, the mobile wireless communications device also comprising a second memory capable of storing a second application, the method comprising:

using the processor to select one of the first applications and the second application on a respective one of the first memory and the second memory; and

using the processor to disable the other one of the first memory and the second memory.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising operating the NFC transceiver using a first NFC communications protocol based upon NFC communications;

and using the processor to select one of the first applications and the second application based upon a match with the first NFC communications protocol.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining a geographic position based upon a position determining device coupled with the processor and selecting one of the first applications and the second application based upon the geographic location.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining a light level based upon a light sensor coupled with the processor and selecting one of the first applications and the second application based upon the light level.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining a time based upon a timer coupled with the processor and selecting one of the first applications and the second application based upon the time.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for use with a mobile wireless communications device comprising a wireless transceiver, a processor coupled with the wireless transceiver circuitry, a near-field communication (NFC) device coupled with the processor and comprising a NFC controller, a NFC transceiver coupled with the NFC controller, and a first memory coupled with the NFC controller and capable of storing a first plurality of applications, the mobile wireless communications device also comprising a second memory capable of storing a second application, the non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile wireless communications device to perform steps comprising:

selecting one of the first applications and the second application on a respective one of the first memory and the second memory; and

disabling the other one of the first memory and the second memory.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the NFC transceiver is configured to operate using a first NFC communications protocol based upon NFC communications;

and wherein the computer-executable instructions are for causing the mobile wireless communications device to perform the step of selecting one of the first applications and the second application based upon a match with the first NFC communications protocol.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 further comprising a position determining device coupled with the processor and configured to determine a geographic position;

and wherein the computer-executable instructions are for causing the mobile wireless communications device to perform the step of selecting one of the first applications and the second application based upon the geographic location.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 further comprising a light sensor coupled with the processor and configured to determine light level;

and wherein the computer-executable instructions are for causing the mobile wireless communications device to perform the step of selecting one of the first applications and the second application based upon the light level.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 further comprising a timer coupled with the processor and configured to determine a time;

and wherein the computer-executable instructions are for causing the mobile wireless communications device to perform the step of selecting one of the first applications and the second application based upon the time.