NEAR-FIELD-COMMUNICATION (NFC) ENABLED MOBILE DEVICE AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140176306A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Hwa, LEE, So-Hyun
• Application Number:
  US14/134,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176306A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A method for Near Field Communication (NFC) communications and an NFC-enabled device are disclosed. The method includes sensing an induced current in a Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna; and switching a switch on and off to start and stop the flow of the induced current in the NFC antenna.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sensing an induced current in a Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna; and

blocking the induced current flow and releasing the induced current flow in the NFC antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing an NFC device within range of the NFC antenna to induce the induced current, wherein the NFC device inducing the induced current remains within range for a duration.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting selection information; and

extracting NFC tags that meet a selection criteria based on the selection information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading a NFC tag after the sensing.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising synchronizing the blocking and releasing of the induced current and the loading so that the NFC tag is loaded prior to the releasing of the induced current.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising loading another NFC tag after the blocking and releasing of the induced current.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the NFC tag through an NFC unit.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the NFC tag is loaded into a Secure Element (SE) domain or a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM).

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising disconnecting a delay switch when operating NFC unit in a Card Emulation (CE) domain.

10. A Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled device comprising:

an NFC antenna configured to sense an induced current therein; and

a delay switch configured to start and stop the flow of the induced current in the NFC antenna.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein a second NFC device is disposed within range of the NFC antenna to induce the induced current, wherein the NFC device inducing the induced current remains within range for a duration.

12. The device of claim 10, further comprising:

a collection unit configured to collect selection information; and

an extraction unit configured to extract NFC tags that meet a selection criteria based on the selection information.

13. The device of claim 10, further comprising a Card Emulation (CE) mode operation unit configured to load an NFC tag.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the CE mode operation unit is configured to synchronize the start and stop of the induced current so that the NFC tag is loaded prior to the induced current being started.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the CE mode operation unit is configured to resume the load of the NFC tag after an interruption in the sensing of the induced current for a small interval.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the CE mode operation unit is configured to transmit the NFC tag through an NFC unit.

17. The device of claim 13, further comprising a Secure Element (SE) domain storage, wherein the CE mode operation unit is configured to load the NFC tag into the SE domain storage.

18. The device of claim 13, further comprising a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), wherein the CE mode operation unit is configured to store the NFC tag in the USIM.

19. A method comprising:

disposing an NFC device within range of a Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna and inducing a current in the NFC antenna;

loading a selected tag from a plurality of NFC tags; and

transferring the selected tag via the NFC antenna from the NFC device while the NFC device continuously remains in range of the NFC antenna by temporarily blocking the induced current flow and releasing the induced current flow.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the loading comprises loading multiple selected tags from the plurality of NFC tags.