MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE PROVIDING SECURITY FEATURES BASED UPON WEARABLE NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION (NFC) DEVICE AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20140101755A1
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: TANG, YU
• Application Number:
  US13/648,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• 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 system may include at least one wearable near field communication (NFC) device including a carrier capable of being worn adjacent to a hand, a sensor coupled to the carrier and capable of sensing positioning adjacent to the hand, and a first NFC transceiver coupled to the carrier and the sensor. The system may further include a mobile wireless communications device including a second NFC transceiver capable of communicating with the first NFC transceiver, and a processor coupled to the second NFC transceiver and being capable of switching from a security mode to a normal operating mode based upon the sensor sensing positioning adjacent to the hand and the second NEC transceiver establishing NEC communication with the first NEC transceiver.

Claims

1. A system including:

at least one wearable near field communication (NFC) device including

a carrier capable of being worn adjacent to a hand,

a sensor coupled to the carrier and capable of sensing positioning adjacent to the hand, and

a first NFC transceiver coupled to the carrier and the sensor; and

a mobile wireless communications device including

a second NFC transceiver capable of communicating with the first NFC transceiver, and

a processor coupled to the second NFC transceiver and being capable of switching from a security mode to a normal operating mode based upon the sensor sensing positioning adjacent the hand and the second NFC transceiver establishing NFC communication with the first NFC transceiver;

wherein the first NFC transceiver is configured to not respond to NFC communication from the second NFC transceiver if the sensor does not sense positioning adjacent the hand.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a temperature sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a pressure sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the carrier includes a ring.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one wearable NFC device further includes an adhesive layer coupled to the carrier and capable of attaching the carrier to the hand.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one wearable NFC device includes a plurality thereof each having a different mobile device operation associated therewith;

and wherein the processor is capable of performing a respective mobile device operation upon switching to the normal operating mode for a given wearable NFC device within NFC communication range of the second NFC transceiver.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further capable of switching from the normal operating mode to the security mode based upon the first NFC transceiver being outside of a communication range of the second NFC device.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor is capable of switching from the normal operating mode to the security mode based upon the first NFC transceiver being outside of a communication range of the second NFC device and after a delay period.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile wireless communications device further includes an input device coupled to the processor and capable of receiving an input;

and wherein the processor is capable of switching from the security mode to the normal operating mode also based upon the input device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the processor is further capable of generating an alert based upon the input from the input device and the first NFC transceiver being outside of a communication range of the second NFC device.

11. A mobile wireless communications device for use with at least one wearable near field communication (NFC) device including a carrier capable of being worn adjacent to a hand, a sensor coupled to the carrier and capable of sensing positioning adjacent to the hand, and a first NFC transceiver coupled to the carrier and the sensor, the mobile wireless communications device including:

a second NFC transceiver capable of communicating with the first NFC transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the second NFC transceiver and being capable of switching from a security mode to a normal operating mode based upon the sensor sensing positioning adjacent to the hand and the second NFC transceiver establishing NFC communication with the first NFC transceiver;

wherein the first NFC transceiver is configured to not respond to NFC communication from the second NFC transceiver if the sensor does not sense positioning adjacent the hand.

12. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11 wherein the processor is further capable of switching from the normal operating mode to the security mode based upon the first NFC transceiver being outside of a communication range of the second NFC device.

13. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein the processor is capable of switching from the normal operating mode to the security mode based upon the first NFC transceiver being outside of a communication range of the second NFC device and after a delay period.

14. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11 wherein the mobile wireless communications device further includes an input device coupled to the processor and capable of receiving an input;

and wherein the processor is capable of switching from the security mode to the normal operating mode also based upon the input device.

15. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11 wherein the at least one wearable NFC device includes a plurality thereof each having a different mobile device operation associated therewith;

and wherein the processor is capable of performing a respective mobile device operation upon switching to the normal operating mode for a given wearable NFC device within NFC communication range of the second NFC transceiver.

16. A wearable near field communication (NFC) device including:

a carrier capable of being worn adjacent to a hand;

a sensor coupled to the carrier and capable of sensing positioning adjacent to the hand; and

an NFC transceiver coupled to the carrier and the sensor;

wherein the NFC transceiver is configured to not respond to NFC communication if the sensor does not sense positioning adjacent the hand.

17. The wearable NFC device of claim 16 wherein the sensor includes a temperature sensor.

18. The wearable NFC device of claim 16 wherein the sensor includes a pressure sensor.

19. The wearable NFC device of claim 16 wherein the carrier includes a ring.

20. The wearable NFC device of claim 16 wherein the at least one wearable NFC device further includes an adhesive layer coupled to the carrier and capable of attaching the carrier to the hand.

21. A method for using a mobile wireless communications device with at least one wearable near field communication (NFC) device including a carrier capable of being worn adjacent to a hand, a sensor coupled to the carrier and capable of sensing positioning adjacent to the hand, and a first NFC transceiver coupled to the carrier and the sensor, and the mobile wireless communications device including a second NFC transceiver capable of communicating with the first NFC transceiver, the method including:

establishing NFC communication between the second NFC transceiver and the first NFC transceiver; and

switching the mobile wireless communications device from a security mode to a normal operating mode based upon the sensor sensing positioning adjacent to the hand and the second NFC transceiver establishing NFC communication with the first NFC transceiver;

wherein the first NFC transceiver is configured to not respond to NFC communication from the second NFC transceiver if the sensor does not sense positioning adjacent the hand.

22. The method of claim 21 further including switching from the normal operating mode to the security mode based upon the first NFC transceiver being outside of a communication range of the second NFC device.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one wearable NFC device includes a plurality thereof each having a different mobile device operation associated therewith;

and wherein the method further includes performing a respective mobile device operation upon switching to the normal operating mode for a given wearable NFC device within NFC communication range of the second NFC transceiver.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium for a mobile wireless communications device for use with at least one wearable near field communication (NFC) device including a carrier capable of being worn adjacent to a hand, a sensor coupled to the carrier and capable of sensing positioning adjacent to the hand, and a first NFC transceiver coupled to the carrier and the sensor, the mobile wireless communications device including a second NFC transceiver capable of communicating with the first NFC transceiver and having computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile wireless communications device to perform steps including:

establishing NFC communication between the second NFC transceiver and the first NFC transceiver; and

switching the mobile wireless communications device from a security mode to a normal operating mode based upon the sensor sensing positioning adjacent to the hand and the second NFC transceiver establishing NFC communication with the first NFC transceiver;

wherein the first NFC transceiver is configured to not respond to NFC communication from the second NFC transceiver if the sensor does not sense positioning adjacent the hand.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further has computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile wireless communications device to perform a step of switching from the normal operating mode to the security mode based upon the first NFC transceiver being outside of a communication range of the second NFC device.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the at least one wearable NFC device includes a plurality thereof each having a different mobile device operation associated therewith;

and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further has computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile wireless communications device to perform a respective mobile device operation upon switching to the normal operating mode for a given wearable NFC device within NFC communication range of the second NFC transceiver.