Mobile phone operation during low battery condition

• US 8,639,291 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Gailloux, Michael A., St. Aubyn King, Lauren Ricardo
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/560,997
• Time in Patent Office: 549 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/407, 455/41.2, 455/550.1, 705/41
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile phone configured to complete payment transactions while the mobile phone is in a low battery shut-off state. The mobile phone comprises a secure element configured to store payment cards, a near field communication transceiver, wherein the near field communication transceiver is configured to complete a payment transaction based on a payment card stored in the secure element, a memory, a processor and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application detects whether a power reserve is below a predefined threshold. When the power reserve is detected below the predefined threshold, the application prompts selection of a payment card stored in the secure element for use in completing payment transactions while the mobile phone is in a low battery shut-off state and configures one of the secure element or the near field communication transceiver to complete payment transactions using the selected payment card.

Claims

1. A method for completing a payment transaction from a mobile device while the mobile device is in a low battery shut-off operation mode by using a near field communication (NFC) transceiver coupled to a secure element (SE) storing at least two payment cards, where a first payment card is designated as a selected payment card before the mobile device enters the low battery shut-off operation mode, comprising:

while the device is in a low battery shut-off operation mode, actuating an input key of the mobile device;

while the mobile device is in the low battery shut-off operation mode, in response to the actuation of the input key, electronically selecting a second payment card stored in a secure element of the mobile device to be the selected payment card; and

while the mobile device is in the low battery shut-off operation mode, completing a payment transaction between the near field communication transceiver of the mobile device and an external near field communication station based on the selected payment card.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to electronically selecting the second payment card, while the mobile device is in the low battery shut-off operation mode, sounding a first distinctive tone, whereby feedback indicating the selection of the second payment card is provided to a user of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

while the device is in the low battery shut-off operation mode, actuating the input key of the mobile device a second time;

and

while the mobile device is in the low battery shut-off operation mode, in response to the second actuation of the input key, electronically selecting a third payment card stored in the secure element to be the selected payment card.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising in response to electronically selecting the third payment card, while the mobile device is in the low battery shut-off operation mode, sounding a second distinctive tone, wherein the second distinctive tone is different from the first distinctive tone, whereby feedback indicating the selection of the third payment card is provided to a user of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, and a media player.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure element stores at least a transit payment card and credit card.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure element further stores a personal identification number, further comprising, while the mobile device is in the low battery shut-off operation mode, providing a combination of input key actuations, and wherein the payment transaction is completed further based on providing the personal identification number in response to the combination of input key actuations.

8. A mobile device that is configured to complete payment transactions after the device has completed a low battery shut-off, comprising:

a cellular radio transceiver;

a display;

a secure element (SE) configured to store a plurality of payment cards;

a near field communication (NFC) transceiver, wherein the near field communication transceiver is configured to complete a payment transaction with an external near field communication station based on a first payment card of the plurality of payment cards stored in the secure element;

a memory;

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to turn on in a limited execution mode while in a low battery shut-off operation mode in response to a first combination of input key actuations;

an application that, when executed by the processor in the limited execution mode,

receives a second combination of input key actuations, wherein the second combination of input key actuations is different from the first combination of input key actuations,

based on the second combination of input key actuations, configures one of the secure element or the near field communication transceiver to complete payment transactions using a second payment card of the plurality of payment cards stored in the secure element;

wherein when the processor executes in the limited execution mode, the cellular radio transceiver and the display of the mobile device remain powered off.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor comprises a programmable logic device or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), wherein the programmable logic device or application specific integrated circuit executes in the limited execution mode, and where in the application executes in the programmable logic device or in the application specific integrated circuit.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the portion of the processor that does not include the programmable logic device or the application integrated circuit remains powered off while the programmable logic device or the application specific integrated circuit executes in the limited execution mode.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, where in response to receiving the second combination of input key actuations, the application sounds a first distinctive tone, whereby feedback indicating the selection of the second payment card is provided to a user of the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the application further

receives a third combination of input key actuations, wherein the third combination of key actuations is different from both the first combination of input key actuations and the second combination of input key actuations, and

based on the third combination of input key actuations, configures one of the secure element and the near field communication transceiver to provide a personal identification number stored in the secure element to complete payment transactions.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, where in response to receiving the third combination of input key actuations, the application sounds a second distinctive tone, wherein the second distinctive tone is different from the first distinctive tone, whereby feedback indicating the selection of the second payment card is provided to a user of the mobile device.

14. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a media player.

15. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the first payment card and the second payment card are one of the same or different payment cards.

16. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the application, when executed by the processor prior to turning on in the limited execution mode:

detects whether a battery power reserve of the mobile device is below a predefined threshold, where the predefined threshold is higher than an automatic shut-off threshold,

when the battery power reserve is detected below the predefined threshold, prompts for a selection of a default payment card of the plurality of payment cards stored in the secure element for use in completing payment transactions while the mobile device is in the low battery shut-off operation mode, and

configures one of the secure element or the near field communication transceiver to complete payment transactions using the default payment card that was selected in response to the prompt.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the application further configures one of the secure element or the near field communication transceiver to complete the payment transactions without providing a personal identification number (PIN) for a predefined period of time after the mobile device enters the low battery shut-off operation mode.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the application further prompts for an input of the predefined period of time when the battery power reserve is detected below the predefined threshold.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the application further:

prompts for an input of a personal identification number (PIN) when the battery power reserve is detected below the predefined threshold, and

stores the personal identification number in the secure element, wherein when the mobile device completes a payment transaction while in the low battery shut-off operation mode, the near field transceiver reads the personal identification number from the secure element and transmits the personal identification number to an external near field communication transceiver.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the mobile device deletes the personal identification number from the secure element when the mobile device is rebooted after it has been recharged.