System and method for storing near field communication tags in an electronic phonebook

• US 8,655,271 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Brostrm, Sofia
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, ANGELICA
• Application Number:
  US11/382,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,841 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411- 413, 455/557, 455/411, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/421, 455/550.1, 340/572.1, 712/26
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, method and computer application for exchanging information using near field communications. In one aspect, the method comprises: transmitting a request for information from a mobile telephone through a near field communication (NFC) adapter associated with the mobile telephone. Information is then received in response to the request for information by the NFC adapter from an electronic device. The NFC tag of the electronic device is stored in the electronic phonebook of the mobile telephone. Storage of the NFC tag may be automatically and/or manually. After the initial storing of the information in the electronic phonebook, future communications between the mobile telephone and the electronic device and/or user utilize a user-friendly designation (e.g., contact information) to inform the mobile telephone user when the devices are in range for communication.

Claims

1. A method of exchanging information, the method comprising:

transmitting a request for information from a first mobile telephone to a second mobile telephone, wherein the request is transmitted through a near field communication (NFC) adapter associated with the first mobile telephone when the first mobile telephone is within NFC range of the second mobile telephone and;

receiving information in response to the request for information by the NFC adapter from the second mobile telephone, wherein the received information is a NFC tag associated with the second mobile telephone;

storing the NFC tag associated with the second mobile telephone in an electronic phonebook application stored in the first mobile telephone, wherein the electronic phonebook includes at least one contact; and

the NFC tag associated with the second mobile telephone is associated with the at least one contact stored in the electronic phonebook application; and

displaying a query on a display of the first mobile telephone in a user-sensible format to an associated user of the first mobile telephone when the second mobile telephone associated with the NFC tag stored in the electronic phonebook application is within NFC range to facilitate identification of the second mobile telephone to the associated user of the first mobile telephone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the NFC tag includes unique information related to at least one of the second mobile telephone or a user of the second mobile telephone.

3. The method of claim 1 further including determining presence and/or absence of second mobile telephone, prior to the transmitting a request step.

4. The method of claim 1 further including receiving user input from a user input device of the first mobile telephone in response to the query, wherein the user input corresponds to a user-friendly designation representing at least one of the second mobile telephone or the contact.

5. The method of claim 4 further including storing the user input in the electronic phonebook application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information is an electronic business card.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the electronic business card includes a user-friendly designation representing at least one of the second mobile telephone or the contact.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information is a telephone number associated with the second mobile telephone.

9. The method of claim 1, further including a user-sensible message confirming that the received information has been stored.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing at least a portion of the received information occurs automatically without user intervention.

11. The method of claim 1 further including prompting an associated user to associate the at least a portion of the received information with the contact in the electronic phonebook.

12. The method of claim 1, further including initiating a communication session by the first mobile telephone after the NFC tag associated with the second mobile telephone has been stored in the electronic phonebook application of the first mobile telephone.

13. The method of claim 12, further including receiving a user input from in response to the query prior to establishing the communication session, wherein user input is indicative of the user of the first mobile telephone desiring to establish the communication session with the second mobile telephone.

14. The method of claim 1, further including initiating a communication session by the first mobile telephone after the NFC tag associated with the second mobile telephone has been stored in the electronic phonebook application of the first mobile telephone.

15. The method of claim 14, further including receiving a user input from in response to the query prior to establishing the communication session, wherein user input is indicative of the user of the first mobile telephone desiring to establish the communication session with the second mobile telephone.

16. A non-transitory computer program stored on a machine readable medium comprising, the computer program being suitable for use in a mobile telephone as an electronic phonebook application, wherein:

when the computer program is loaded in a memory of the mobile telephone and executed causes the mobile telephone to;

transmit a request for information from the mobile telephone to a second mobile telephone, wherein the request is transmitted through a near field communication (NFC) adapter associated with the mobile telephone when the mobile telephone is within NFC range of the second mobile telephone;

receive information in response to the request for information by the NFC adapter from the second mobile telephone, wherein the received information includes a NFC tag associated with the second mobile telephone;

storing the NFC tag associated with the second mobile telephone in the electronic phonebook application, wherein the electronic phonebook application includes contact information for at least one contact and the NFC tag associated with the second mobile telephone is associated with the at least one contact stored in the electronic phonebook application; and

displaying a query on a display of the mobile telephone in a user-sensible format to an associated user of the mobile telephone when the second mobile telephone associated with the NFC tag stored in electronic phonebook application is within NFC range to facilitate identification of the second mobile telephone to the associated user of the mobile telephone.

17. The non-transitory computer program of claim 16 further including associating a user-friendly designation with the NFC tag and storing the user-friendly designation in the electronic phonebook.