Emulated radio frequency identification

• US 8,381,974 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Zatloukal, Peter, Engstrom, G. Eric, Smith, Cindy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US13/363,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20120133483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/73, 455/74, 455/83, 455/553.1, 235/380, 235/435, 235/487, 340/572.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.7, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts

Abstract

A mobile communication device is equipped with hardware and/or software components to enable the device to output a data in a form of a radio frequency signal, emulating outputting of the data by either an active or a passive RFID transponder. The data may be a security key or an identifier. Emulation of an active RFID transponder includes facilitating selection of the data and instruction to output by a user. Emulation of a passive RFID transponder includes detecting for proximal presence of a RFID reader. Either case, provision of the data to the mobile communication device may include provision of associated signal attribute(s).

Claims

1. A method for providing a radio frequency identification (RFID) from a switchable mobile communications device capable of RFID communication and voice call communication, the method comprising:

receiving, by the mobile communications device, an instruction to transmit first RFID transponder data;

switching a transceiver of the mobile communications device from a first state to a second state upon reception of said instruction, the transceiver configured to output voice call signals in the first state and to output RFID transponder signals in the second state; and

outputting the first RFID transponder data, by the transceiver as an RFID transponder signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transceiver comprises a first signal processing unit configured to process voice call signals and a second signal processing unit configured to process RFID signals, said switching comprising coupling the second signal processing unit to a transmission path of the transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first RFID transponder data comprises a selected one of a security key and an identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises facilitating the user in selecting the first RFID transponder data from a plurality of RFID transponder data using the mobile communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises facilitating provision of the first RFID transponder data to the mobile communication device by facilitating provision of at least a signaling attribute associated with the outputting of the RFID transponder data in the format compatible with said RFID reader.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring for proximal presence of the RFID reader by the mobile communication device; and

on detection of the RFID reader by the mobile communication device, outputting, by the transceiver, second RFID transponder data as a second radio frequency signal, the outputting emulating output of the second RFID transponder data by an RFID transponder of a passive type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said monitoring comprises sensing for a probing radio frequency signal of the RFID reader by the mobile communication device.

8. A method for providing a radio frequency identifier (RFID), from a switchable mobile communications device capable of RFID communication and voice call communication, the method comprising:

monitoring, by the mobile communication device, for proximal presence of a proximal RFID reader, the mobile communication device having a transceiver configured, to output, in a first state, RFID transponder data to be received by the proximal RFID reader upon the mobile communications device determining proximal presence of one or more RFID readers, the transceiver being also configured to output, in a second state, a voice call signal for transmission at least in part over a wireless network; and

on detection of the RFID reader, outputting, by the transceiver, the RFID transponder data as a radio frequency signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said monitoring comprises sensing for one or more probing radio frequency signals of the one or more RFID readers by the mobile communication device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said data comprises a security key.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises facilitating provision of the RFID transponder data to the mobile communication device by facilitating provision of at least a signaling attribute associated with the outputting of the RFID transponder data in the format employed by the RFID reader.

12. A switchable mobile communication device capable of RFID communication and voice call communication, the mobile communication device comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a radio frequency signal, the transmitter comprising a first signal processing section and a second signal processing section, the first signal processing section configured to output voice call signals in a first radio frequency range and the second signal processing section configured to output RFID transponder signals in a second radio frequency range;

a storage medium to store a first data and instructions to;

monitor for proximal presence of one or more RFID readers; and

operate the transmitter to switch between the first and second signal processing sections to selectively;

(a) output first RFID transponder data as said RFID transponder signals in response to detection by the mobile communication device of the proximal RFID reader, and (b) output a voice call signal for transmission over a wireless network; and

a processor coupled to the transmitter and the storage to execute the instructions.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said first RFID transponder data comprises a selected one of a security key and an identifier.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said first RFID transponder data comprises a security key, and said security key comprises a door key.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further designed to facilitate the user in selecting the first RFID transponder data from a plurality of RFID transponder data, and instructing said output.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further designed to facilitate provision of the first RFID transponder data to the mobile communication device.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further designed to include, with said facilitating, provisioning of at least a signaling attribute associated with the outputting of the first RFID transponder data in the form of a radio frequency signal.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further designed to sense for a probing radio frequency signal of the RFID reader.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the mobile communication device is a selected one of a wireless mobile phone and a personal digital assistant equipped with communication capability.