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Accelerometer tap detection to initiate NFC communication

  • US 9,106,275 B2
  • Filed: 09/24/2009
  • Issued: 08/11/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A communications device, comprising:

  • a processor and radio frequency (RF) circuitry;

    a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit connected to the processor and configured to communicate using an NFC communications protocol;

    an accelerometer connected to the processor, wherein the accelerometer generates signals indicative of vibration measurements and provides the signals to the processor responsive to a tapping engagement between the communications device and an NFC enabled device, wherein the processor generates a tap profile according to the vibration measurements, wherein the generated tap profile includes a group of measured vibrations; and

    a memory storing known tap profiles, wherein each of the known tap profiles is indicative of a plurality of vibrations generated when tapping with the communications device against a particular NFC enabled device;

    wherein the processor compares the generated tap profile with the known tap profiles,wherein the processor selects a particular known tap profile from among the stored known tap profiles based on the comparison according to a match between the group of measured vibrations of the generated tap profile and the plurality of vibrations of the particular known tap profile,wherein the processor switches on the NFC circuit and activates the NFC circuit to transmit or receive communications protocol data with the NFC enabled device using the NFC communications protocol in response to the selecting of the particular known tap profile,wherein the NFC circuit is in a lower power state when not switched on, andwherein the communications protocol data is related to establishing a non-NFC communications connection between the communications device and another communications device and the RF circuitry is activated after the NFC circuit receives communications protocol data related to the non-NFC communications connection.

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