MOBILE DEVICE AND NFC SERVICE PROTECTION METHOD OF THE MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20120295588A1
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: CHEN, CHO-JAN, CHEN, LI-YUN
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• 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 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In a near-field communication (NFC) service protection method of the mobile device, the mobile device includes an NFC controller, one or more security elements, a global positioning system (GPS) and a storage system. The method sets a security code for an NFC service of each of the security elements according to the geographic location of the mobile device as acquired by the GPS, and stores a security protection of the NFC service corresponding to each of the NFC services into the storage system. After an NFC service is selected from one of the security elements, and the NFC service is performed by executing an NFC application corresponding to the NFC service through the NFC controller. In addition, the method deletes the security code of the NFC service to disable the security protection of the NFC service when the NFC service needs to disable the security protection.

Claims

1. A near-field communication (NFC) service protection method of a mobile device, the mobile device comprising an NFC controller, one or more security elements, a global position system (GPS), a display screen and a storage system, the method comprising:

(a) acquiring a geographic location of the mobile device using the GPS;

(b) setting a security code for an NFC service of each of the security elements according to the geographic location of the mobile device, and storing a security protection of the NFC service corresponding to each of the NFC services into the storage system;

(c) selecting an NFC service from one of the security elements through an NFC service protection interface displayed on the display screen, and performing the NFC service by executing an NFC application stored in one of the security elements corresponding to the NFC service through the NFC controller;

(d) determining whether any NFC service needs to disable the security protection of the NFC service; and

(e) deleting the security code of the NFC service to disable the security protection of the NFC service if the NFC service needs to be disable the security protection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the block (b) comprises:

invoking the NFC service protection interface when a user operates the NFC service, and receiving an NFC service control password input from the NFC service protection interface;

determining whether the NFC service control password is correct;

controlling the mobile device to work in a standby mode if the NFC service control password is incorrect;

obtaining all the NFC services from the security elements using the NFC controller if the NFC service control password is correct;

generating a security protection result for each of the NFC services by linking the geographic location of the mobile device to each of the NFC services; and

storing the security protection result into the storage system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the block (c) comprises:

selecting an NFC service from one of the security elements through the NFC service protection interface, and obtaining the geographic location of the NFC service from the storage system;

determining whether the NFC service is protected by the security code;

acquiring a current position of the mobile device using the GPS if the NFC service is protected by the security code;

determining whether the current position matches the geographic location;

controlling the mobile device to work in a standby mode when the current position does not match the geographic location;

accessing the security element corresponding to the NFC service through the NFC controller if the current position matches the geographic location; and

executing an NFC application corresponding to the NFC service to generate an execution result, and displaying the execution result on the display screen.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the block (e) comprises:

selecting an NFC service from one of the security elements through the NFC service protection interface;

receiving an NFC service control password input from the NFC service protection interface;

determining whether the input password is correct;

controlling the mobile device to work in a standby mode if the input password is incorrect;

deleting the geographic location of the NFC service from the storage system and deleting the security code of the NFC service from the security element to disable the security protection of the NFC service, if the input password is correct.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the NFC controller is an integrated circuit (IC) chipset including an antenna circuit, and controls the mobile device to perform the NFC services.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the security elements comprise a subscriber identify module (SIM) card, a secure digital memory (SDM) card and a secure access memory (SAM) card, and each of the security elements stores one or more NFC applications.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the NFC services comprise an electronic payment service in a bus transport and an ID authentication service used in a gate controlsystem, and each of the NFC services corresponds to an NFC application.

8. A mobile device, comprising:

a near-field communication (NFC) controller, one or more security elements, and a global position system (GPS);

a display screen, a storage system and at least one microprocessor; and

one or more programs stored in the storage system and executed by the at least one microprocessor, the one or more programs comprising;

a protection setting module operable to acquire geographic location of the mobile device using the GPS, set a security code for an NFC service of each of the security elements according to the geographic location of the mobile device, and store a security protection of the NFC service corresponding to each of the NFC services into the storage system;

an NFC service executing module operable to select an NFC service from one of the security elements through an NFC service protection interface displayed on the display screen, and perform the NFC service by executing an NFC application stored in one of the security elements corresponding to the NFC service through the NFC controller; and

a protection disabling module determine whether any NFC service needs to disable the security protection of the NFC service, and delete the security code of the NFC service to disable the security protection of the NFC service if the NFC service needs to disable the security protection.

9. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the security protection of the NFC service is generated by steps of:

invoking the NFC service protection interface when a user operates the NFC service, and receiving an NFC service control password input from the NFC service protection interface;

determining whether the NFC service control password is correct;

controlling the mobile device to work in a standby mode if the NFC service control password is incorrect;

obtaining all the NFC services from the security elements using the NFC controller if the NFC service control password is correct;

generating a security protection result for each of the NFC services by linking the geographic location of the mobile device to each of the NFC services; and

storing the security protection result into the storage system.

10. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the security protection of the NFC service is performed by steps of:

selecting an NFC service from one of the security elements through the NFC service protection interface, and obtaining the geographic location of the NFC service from the storage system;

determining whether the NFC service is protected by the security code;

acquiring a current position of the mobile device using the GPS if the NFC service is protected by the security code;

determining whether the current position matches the geographic location;

controlling the mobile device to work in a standby mode when the current position does not match the geographic location;

accessing the security element corresponding to the NFC service through the NFC controller if the current position matches the geographic location; and

executing an NFC application corresponding to the NFC service to generate an execution result, and displaying the execution result on the display screen.

11. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the security protection of the NFC service is disabled by steps of:

selecting an NFC service from one of the security elements through the NFC service protection interface;

receiving an NFC service control password input from the NFC service protection interface;

determining whether the input password is correct;

controlling the mobile device to work in a standby mode if the input password is incorrect;

deleting the geographic location of the NFC service from the storage system, and deleting the security code of the NFC service from the security element to disable the security protection of the NFC service, if the input password is correct.

12. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the NFC controller is an integrated circuit (IC) chipset including an antenna circuit, and controls the mobile device to perform the NFC services.

13. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the security elements comprise a subscriber identify module (SIM) card, a secure digital memory (SDM) card and a secure access memory (SAM) card, and each of the security elements stores one or more NFC applications.

14. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the NFC services comprise an electronic payment service in a bus transport and an ID authentication service used in a gate controlsystem, and each of the NFC services corresponds to an NFC application.

15. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when is executed by at least one microprocessor of a mobile device, causes the mobile device to perform a near-field communication (NFC) service protection method, the mobile device comprising an NFC controller, one or more security elements, a global position system (GPS), a display screen, and a storage system, the method comprising:

(a) acquiring geographic location of the mobile device using the GPS;

(b) setting a security code for an NFC service of each of the security elements according to the geographic location of the mobile device, and storing a security protection of the NFC service corresponding to each of the NFC services into the storage system;

(c) selecting an NFC service from one of the security elements through an NFC service protection interface displayed on the display screen, and performing the NFC service by executing an NFC application stored in one of the security elements corresponding to the NFC service through the NFC controller;

(d) determining whether any NFC service needs to disable the security protection of the NFC service; and

(e) deleting the security code of the NFC service to disable the security protection of the NFC service if the NFC service needs to disable the security protection.

16. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the block (b) comprises:

invoking the NFC service protection interface when a user operates the NFC service, and receiving an NFC service control password input from the NFC service protection interface;

determining whether the NFC service control password is correct;

controlling the mobile device to work in a standby mode if the NFC service control password is incorrect;

obtaining all the NFC services from the security elements using the NFC controller if the NFC service control password is correct;

generating a security protection result for each of the NFC services by linking the geographic location of the mobile device to each of the NFC services; and

storing the security protection result into the storage system.

17. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the block (c) comprises:

selecting an NFC service from one of the security elements through the NFC service protection interface, and obtaining the geographic location of the NFC service from the storage system;

determining whether the NFC service is protected by the security code;

acquiring a current position of the mobile device using the GPS if the NFC service is protected by the security code;

determining whether the current position matches the geographic location;

controlling the mobile device to work in a standby mode when the current position does not matches the geographic location;

accessing the security element corresponding to the NFC service through the NFC controller if the current position matches the geographic location; and

executing an NFC application corresponding to the NFC service to generate an execution result, and displaying the execution result on the display screen.

18. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the block (e) comprises:

selecting an NFC service from one of the security elements through the NFC service protection interface;

receiving an NFC service control password input from the NFC service protection interface;

determining whether the input password is correct;

controlling the mobile device to work in a standby mode if the input password is incorrect;

deleting the geographic location of the NFC service from the storage system and deleting the security code of the NFC service from the security element to disable the security protection of the NFC service, if the input password is correct.

19. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the NFC controller is an integrated circuit (IC) chipset including an antenna circuit, and controls the mobile device to perform the NFC services.

20. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the security elements comprise a subscriber identify module (SIM) card, a secure digital memory (SDM) card and a secure access memory (SAM) card, and each of the security elements stores one or more NFC applications.