Mobile communications device providing enhanced near field communication (NFC) mode switching features and related methods

• US 8,688,038 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Byrne, David James, Stoev, Orlin Vesselinov
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US13/359,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20130196595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile communications device may include a near field communication (NFC) transceiver switchable between a plurality of modes including a first NFC mode and a second NFC mode, wherein the second NFC mode has a lower power consumption level associated therewith than the first NFC mode. The mobile communications device may further include a processor coupled with the NFC transceiver and capable of activating an application, switching the NFC transceiver to operate in the first NFC mode in response to activating the application, and switching the NFC transceiver to the second NFC mode based upon a failure to establish NFC communications within a threshold time of switching the NFC transceiver to the first NFC mode.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device comprising:

a near field communication (NFC) transceiver switchable between a plurality of modes including a first NFC mode and a second NFC mode, wherein the second NFC mode has a lower power consumption level associated therewith than the first NFC mode; and

a processor coupled with the NFC transceiver and capable of

activating an application,

switching the NFC transceiver to operate in the first NFC mode in response to activating the application, and

switching the NFC transceiver to the second NFC mode based upon a failure to establish NFC communications within a threshold time of switching the NFC transceiver to the first NFC mode.

2. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the application is capable of using the NFC transceiver;

and wherein the processor is capable of switching the NFC transceiver to operate in the first NFC mode further in response to determining that the application is capable of using the NFC transceiver.

3. The mobile communications device of claim 2 wherein the application is capable of using the NFC transceiver by invoking an NFC application programming interface (API).

4. The mobile communications device of claim 3 wherein the processor is capable of switching the NFC transceiver to the first NFC mode further in response to activating the application and the application invoking the NFC API.

5. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the first NFC mode comprises at least one of a peer-to-peer (P2P) mode or a read/write (R/W) mode.

6. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the second NFC mode comprises a low power tag detect mode.

7. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the second NFC mode comprises a passive NFC mode.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the first NFC mode has a first scan rate associated therewith;

and wherein the second NFC mode has a second scan rate associated therewith that is lower than the first scan rate.

9. The mobile communications device of claim 1 further comprising an input device coupled with the processor;

and wherein the processor is further capable of changing the threshold time based upon the input device.

10. The mobile communications device of claim 9 wherein the input device comprises at least one of a touch screen or a keypad.

11. A communications method for a mobile communications device comprising a near field communication (NFC) transceiver switchable between a plurality of modes comprising a first NFC mode and a second NFC mode, wherein the second NFC mode has a lower power consumption level associated therewith than the first NFC mode, the method comprising:

activating an application on the mobile communications device;

switching the NFC transceiver to operate in the first NFC mode in response to activating the application; and

switching the NFC transceiver to the second NFC mode based upon a failure to establish NFC communications within a threshold time of switching the NFC transceiver to the first NFC mode.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the application is capable of using the NFC transceiver;

and wherein switching the NFC transceiver to operate in the first NFC mode comprises switching the NFC transceiver to operate in the first NFC mode further in response to determining that the application is capable of using the NFC transceiver.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the application is capable of using the NFC transceiver by invoking an NFC application programming interface (API).

14. The method of claim 13 wherein switching the NFC transceiver to the first NFC mode further comprises switching the NFC transceiver to the first NFC mode in response to activating the application and the application invoking the NFC API.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the first NFC mode comprises at least one of a peer-to-peer (P2P) mode or a read/write (R/W) mode.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the second NFC mode comprises a low power tag detect mode.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the second NFC mode comprises a passive NFC mode.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the first NFC mode has a first scan rate associated therewith;

and wherein the second NFC mode has a second scan rate associated therewith that is lower than the first scan rate.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for a mobile communications device comprising a near field communication (NFC) transceiver switchable between a plurality of modes including a first NFC mode and a second NFC mode, wherein the second NFC mode has a lower power consumption level associated therewith than the first NFC mode, the non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile communications device to perform steps comprising:

activating an application on the mobile communications device;

switching the NFC transceiver to operate in the first NFC mode in response to activating the application; and

switching the NFC transceiver to the second NFC mode based upon a failure to establish NFC communications within a threshold time of switching the NFC transceiver to the first NFC mode.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the application is capable of using the NFC transceiver;

and wherein switching the NFC transceiver to operate in the first NFC mode comprises switching the NFC transceiver to operate in the first NFC mode further in response to determining that the application is capable of using the NFC transceiver.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the application is capable of using the NFC transceiver by invoking an NFC application programming interface (API).

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein switching the NFC transceiver to the first NFC mode further comprises switching the NFC transceiver to the first NFC mode in response to activating the application and the application invoking the NFC API.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the first NFC mode comprises at least one of a peer-to-peer (P2P) mode or a read/write (R/W) mode.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the second NFC mode comprises a low power tag detect mode.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the second NFC mode comprises a passive NFC mode.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the first NFC mode has a first scan rate associated therewith;

and wherein the second NFC mode has a second scan rate associated therewith that is lower than the first scan rate.