COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE, METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ESTABLISHING WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES

• US 20160359525A1
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: GRIFFIN, JASON T., FYKE, STEVEN H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,243,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• 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 device, method, and system are disclosed for establishing wireless communications between communications devices comprising respective magnets and magnetic sensors each located on first and second communications device and aligned such that a magnet on the first communications device is aligned with a magnetic sensor on the second communications device and a magnet on the second communications device is aligned with a magnetic sensor on the first communications device. In response, a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit contained in each of the first and second communications devices is activated and data exchanged between the first and second communications devices using a NFC communications protocol.

Claims

1. A communications device, comprising:

a housing;

a user interface carried by the housing;

a motion sensor;

a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the user interface and the motion sensor;

a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit positioned in the housing and connected to the processor for communicating using an NFC communications protocol; and

a magnetic sensor supported by the housing and connected to the processor for sensing a magnetic field from a NFC enabled device and generating a signal to the processor,

wherein the NFC circuit is in a lower power state when not switched on,

wherein the processor is configured to wake the NFC circuit and activate the NFC circuit and transmit or receive data with the NFC enabled device using the NFC communications protocol in response to a tapping signal from the motion sensor to establish communications with the NFC enabled device.

2. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein the tapping signal sensed by the motion sensor generate a profile.

3. The communications device according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured for comparing the profile to a known tap profile and to wake the NFC circuit if motion parameters in the profile meets or exceed parameters in the known tap profile.

4. The communications device according to claim 3, wherein the motion sensor is a cadence sensor.

5. The communications device according to claim 3, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

6. The communications device according to claim 5, wherein the accelerometer produces an analog signal and the communications device further comprises an analog-to-digital converter.

7. The communications device according to claim 5, wherein the accelerometer is one of a capacitive, piezoelectric, piezoresistive, or gas-based accelerometer.

8. The communications device according to claim 5, wherein the accelerometer produces a digital signal.

9. The communications device according to claim 8, wherein the accelerometer is a MEMS digital accelerometer.

10. A method for establishing wireless communications between first and second communications devices each comprising radio frequency (RF) circuitry comprising Bluetooth circuitry, a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit, and processor coupled to the RF circuitry and the NFC circuit, and the first communications device including a user interface coupled to the processor of the first communications device, the method comprising:

aligning respective magnets and magnetic sensors each located on first and second communications devices such that a magnet on the first communications device is aligned with a magnetic sensor on the second communications device and a magnet on the second communications device is aligned with a magnetic sensor on the first communications device;

switching on and activating a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit contained in at least one of the first and second communications devices in response to sensing the magnet on respective other communications device for enabling communication between the first and second communications devices, wherein the NFC circuit in the at least one of the first and second communications devices is in a lower power state when not switched on;

exchanging Bluetooth configuration data between the first and second communications devices using a NFC communications protocol;

switching on and activating a Bluetooth circuit in at least one of the first and second communications devices and negotiating and establishing Bluetooth communications between the at least first and second communications devices; and

receiving, into the processor via Bluetooth communications from the second communications device, data regarding remote operation of the second communications device; and

launching an application based upon the remote operation of the second communications device.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising controlling the second communications device from the first communications device via the application, wherein the application uses Bluetooth communications.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising turning on and activating the NFC circuits within respective communications devices when the first and second devices are adjacent to each other.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the application establishes configuration options for controlling the second communications device.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the second communications device comprises a vehicle and the options include opening a door and starting the vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising establishing a wireless communications connection different than the NFC communications protocol based on data exchanged between the first and second communications devices.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the second communications device comprises a personal video recorder (PVR) and the application operates the PVR.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the application provides an option to pay a fee for a service.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the application relays information provided by the second communications device.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the application presents media content shared by the second communications device, wherein the media content comprises one or more of music, video or photographs.

20. A system for communicating, comprising:

first and second communications devices and each having a processor and a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit and Bluetooth circuitry connected to the processor for communicating using a NFC communications protocol and Bluetooth communications and a magnet and magnetic sensor connected to the processor for sensing a magnetic field from a respective magnet in the other communications device and generating a signal to the processor,

wherein the first communications device includes a user interface coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to turn on and activate the NFC circuit for transmitting or receiving Bluetooth configuration data using the NFC communications protocol in response to the signal and wherein the NFC circuit is in a lower power state when not switched on,

wherein respective magnets and magnetic sensors are aligned for turning on and activating the NFC circuit to exchange Bluetooth configuration data between the first and second communications devices using the NFC communications protocol, the Bluetooth circuitry being activated after the NFC circuit receives the Bluetooth configuration data and receives, into the processor from the second communications device, data regarding remote operation of the second communications device, and the processor is operative with the Bluetooth circuitry to control the NFC enabled second communications device using the Bluetooth communications, and

wherein a first application of the first communications device launches based on control of the second communications device.