System and method for communications establishment

• US 8,081,060 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Saarisalo, Mikko, Lahdenniemi, Jussi
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US11/382,973
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/12.5, 340/5.65, 340/539.11, 340/505, 455/41.2, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0727 the arrangement being a circuit facilitating integration of the record carrier with a hand-held device such as a smart phone of PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• 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 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

Systems and methods applicable, for instance, in communications establishment. A wireless node and/or other computer might, for example, perform one or more operations to provide for connection by external devices seeking to access the wireless node and/or other computer. The wireless node and/or other computer might, for instance, expose various communications.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting at an apparatus an external radio frequency field;

selecting at the apparatus a near field communications module;

allowing at the apparatus near field communications by, during the allowance of the near field communications, permitting the near field communications module access to near field communications hardware of the apparatus and denying a smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

ceasing at the apparatus the allowance of the near field communications;

selecting at the apparatus the smart card module; and

allowing at the apparatus contactless smartcard communications by, during the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications, permitting the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein near field communications allowance permits at least one of peer-to-peer operation and operation in a manner of a radio frequency identification tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein contactless smartcard communications allowance permits one or more transactions to be made.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein giving the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware comprises disrupting some or all communications between at least one processor and the smartcard module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the near field communications hardware is employable in radio frequency identification reader functionality for sending interrogations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the near field communications are allowed for a predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ceasing the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications; and

initiating near field communication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein there is no reaction to one or more unsuitable radio frequency fields.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more unsuitable radio frequency fields do not have any effect.

10. A method, comprising:

detecting at an apparatus a first external radio frequency field from a periodic series of external radio frequency fields;

selecting at the apparatus a near field communications module;

allowing at the apparatus near field communications by, during the allowance of the near field communications, permitting the near field communications module access to near field communications hardware of the apparatus and denying a smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

ceasing at the apparatus the allowance of the near field communications;

selecting at the apparatus the smart card module;

allowing at the apparatus contactless smartcard communications by, during the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications, permitting the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

detecting at the apparatus a second external radio frequency field from the periodic series of external radio frequency fields;

allowing at the apparatus the contactless smartcard communications by, during said allowance of the contactless smartcard communications subsequent to the detection of the second radio frequency field, permitting the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

detecting at the apparatus a third external radio frequency field from the periodic series of external radio frequency fields;

ceasing at the apparatus the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications;

reselecting at the apparatus the near field communications module; and

allowing at the apparatus the near field communications by, during said allowance of the near field communications subsequent to the detection of the third radio frequency field, permitting the near field communications module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus and denying the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein near field communications allowance permits at least one of peer-to-peer operation and operation in a manner of a radio frequency identification tag.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein contactless smartcard communications allowance permits one or more transactions to be made.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein there is no reaction to one or more unsuitable radio frequency fields.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more unsuitable radio frequency fields do not have any effect.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

detect at the apparatus an external radio frequency field;

select at the apparatus a near field communications module;

allow at the apparatus near field communications by, during the allowance of the near field communications, permitting the near field communications module access to near field communications hardware of the apparatus and denying a smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

cease at the apparatus the allowance of the near field communications;

select at the apparatus the smart card module; and

allow at the apparatus contactless smartcard communications by, during the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications, permitting the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein near field communications allowance permits at least one of peer-to-peer operation and operation in a manner of a radio frequency identification tag.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein contactless smartcard communications allowance permits one or more transactions to be made.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein giving the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware comprises disrupting some or all communications between the at least one processor and the smartcard module.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the near field communications hardware is employable in radio frequency identification reader functionality for sending interrogations.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the near field communications are allowed for a predetermined period of time.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

cease the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications; and

initiate near field communication.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

at least one network interface disposed in communication with the at least one processor,

wherein the apparatus is a wireless node.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein there is no reaction to one or more unsuitable radio frequency fields.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one or more unsuitable radio frequency fields do not have any effect.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

detect at the apparatus a first external radio frequency field from a periodic series of external radio frequency fields;

select at the apparatus a near field communications module;

allow at the apparatus near field communications by, during the allowance of the near field communications, permitting the near field communications module access to near field communications hardware of the apparatus and denying a smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

cease at the apparatus the allowance of the near field communications;

select at the apparatus the smart card module;

allow at the apparatus contactless smartcard communications by, during the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications, permitting the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

detect at the apparatus a second external radio frequency field from the periodic series of external radio frequency fields;

allow at the apparatus the contactless smartcard communications by, during said allowance of the contactless smartcard communications subsequent to the detection of the second radio frequency field, permitting the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

detect at the apparatus a third external radio frequency field from the periodic series of external radio frequency fields;

cease at the apparatus the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications;

reselect at the apparatus the near field communications module; and

allow at the apparatus the near field communications by, during said allowance of the near field communications subsequent to the detection of the third radio frequency field, permitting the near field communications module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus and denying the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein near field communications allowance permits at least one of peer-to-peer operation and operation in a manner of a radio frequency identification tag.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein contactless smartcard communications allowance permits one or more transactions to be made.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

at least one network interface disposed in communication with the at least one processor,

wherein the apparatus is a wireless node.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein there is no reaction to one or more unsuitable radio frequency fields.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein one or more unsuitable radio frequency fields do not have any effect.

31. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code for causing detection at an apparatus of an external radio frequency field;

code for causing selection at the apparatus of a near field communications module;

code for causing allowance at the apparatus of near field communications by, during the allowance of the near field communications, permitting the near field communications module access to near field communications hardware of the apparatus and denying a smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

code for causing cessation at the apparatus of the allowance of the near field communications;

code for causing selection at the apparatus of the smart card module; and

code for causing allowance at the apparatus of contactless smartcard communications by, during the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications, permitting the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus.

32. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code for causing detection at an apparatus of a first external radio frequency field from a periodic series of external radio frequency fields;

code for causing selection at the apparatus of a near field communications module;

code for causing allowance at the apparatus, of near field communications by, during the allowance of the near field communications, permitting the near field communications module access to near field communications hardware of the apparatus and denying a smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

code for causing cessation at the apparatus of the allowance of the near field communications,

code for causing selection at the apparatus of the smart card module;

code for causing allowance at the apparatus, of contactless smartcard communications by, during the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications, permitting the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

code for causing detection at the apparatus of a second external radio frequency field from the periodic series of external radio frequency fields;

code for causing allowance at the apparatus of the contactless smartcard communications by, during said allowance of the contactless smartcard communications subsequent to the detection of the second radio frequency field, permitting the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus;

code for causing detection at the apparatus of a third external radio frequency field from the periodic series of external radio frequency fields;

code for causing cessation at the apparatus of the allowance of the contactless smartcard communications;

code for causing reselection at the apparatus of the near field communications module; and

code for causing allowance at the apparatus of the near field communications by, during said allowance of the near field communications subsequent to the detection of the third radio frequency field, permitting the near field communications module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus and denying the smartcard module access to the near field communications hardware of the apparatus.