Device, method and system for efficiently powering a near field communication device

• US 9,124,305 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Burrell, Douglas James Arthur, Orr, Kevin Howard, Abdelsamie, Ahmed, Mruk, Mikolaj Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US14/016,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20150065037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 307/104, 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10217 parameter settings controlling the transmission power of the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A device, method and system for efficiently powering a near field communication device are provided. The device comprises: a module configured to: exchange data with a near field communication (NFC) device; and transmit energy to the NFC device; and, a processor configured to: receive, using the module, energy data from the NFC device, the energy data comprising data for determining a difference between a current energy level of an energy storage apparatus at the NFC device and a given amount of energy for performing a given function at the NFC device; determine the difference from the energy data; and, transmit, using the module, an amount of energy corresponding to the difference, to the NFC device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a module configured to;

exchange data with a near field communication (NFC) device; and

transmit energy to the NFC device; and

,

a processor configured to;

receive, using the module, energy data from the NFC device, the energy data comprising data for determining a difference between a current energy level of an energy storage apparatus at the NFC device and a given amount of energy for performing a given function at the NFC device;

determine the difference from the energy data; and

,

transmit, using the module, an amount of energy corresponding to the difference, to the NFC device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the energy data comprises one or more of:

the current energy level of the energy storage apparatus at the NFC device;

the given amount of energy for performing the given function at the NFC device; and

,

the difference there between.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the amount of energy, corresponding to the difference, which is transmitted to the NFC device is one or more of:

about the same as the difference;

greater than the difference; and

, about the difference plus a given percentage of the difference.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a current energy level of a power source at the device; and

,

when one or more of;

the amount of energy is greater than a current energy level of the power source; and

, the amount of energy is within a given percentage of the current energy level of the power source, control a display of the device to provide a prompt for charging the power source.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, when the amount of energy to be transmitted to the NFC device exceeds a second amount of energy for completely charging the energy storage apparatus at the NFC device, transmit, using the module, the second amount of energy to the NFC device rather than the amount of energy corresponding to the difference.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

estimate when the given function is to occur; and

begin transmission of the amount of energy at a time prior to an estimated time for implementing the given function, such that a difference between the time when transmission of amount of energy begins, and the estimated time for implementing the given function, is greater than or about equal to an amount of time for transmitting amount of energy.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing data corresponding to amounts of energy for performing respective functions at the NFC device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to receive, from the module, the energy data comprising:

the current energy level of the energy storage apparatus at the NFC device and an indication of the given function to be performed at the NFC device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the difference by retrieving the given amount of energy for performing the given function at the NFC device from the memory using the indication.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the given amount of energy for performing the given function is based on one or more of statistics and historical data for previously performing the given function.

11. A method comprising:

at a device comprising;

a module configured to;

exchange data with a near field communication (NFC) device; and

transmit energy to the NFC device; and

, a processor,

receiving, at the processor, using the module, energy data from the NFC device, the energy data comprising data for determining a difference between a current energy level of an energy storage apparatus at the NFC device and a given amount of energy for performing a given function at the NFC device;

determining, using the processor the difference from the energy data; and

,

transmitting, using the module, an amount of energy corresponding to the difference, to the NFC device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy data comprises one or more of:

the current energy level of the energy storage apparatus at the NFC device;

the given amount of energy for performing the given function at the NFC device; and

,

the difference there between.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the amount of energy, corresponding to the difference, which is transmitted to the NFC device is one or more of:

about the same as the difference;

greater than the difference; and

, about the difference plus a given percentage of the difference.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a current energy level of a power source at the device; and

,

when one or more of;

the amount of energy is greater than a current energy level of the power source; and

, the amount of energy is within a given percentage of the current energy level of the power source, controlling a display of the device to provide a prompt for charging the power source.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when the amount of energy to be transmitted to the NFC device exceeds a second amount of energy for completely charging the energy storage apparatus at the NFC device, transmitting, using the module, the second amount of energy to the NFC device rather than the amount of energy corresponding to the difference.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

estimating when the given function is to occur; and

,

beginning transmission of the amount of energy at a time prior to an estimated time for implementing the given function, such that a difference between the time when transmission of amount of energy begins, and the estimated time for implementing the given function, is greater than or about equal to an amount of time for transmitting amount of energy.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising, storing at a memory of the device, data corresponding to amounts of energy for performing respective functions at the NFC device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving, from the module, the energy data comprising:

the current energy level of the energy storage apparatus at the NFC device and an indication of the given function to be performed at the NFC device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, determining the difference by retrieving the given amount of energy for performing the given function at the NFC device from the memory using the indication.

20. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

at a device comprising;

a module configured to;

exchange data with a near field communication (NFC) device; and

transmit energy to the NFC device; and

, a processor,

receiving, at the processor, using the module, energy data from the NFC device, the energy data comprising data for determining a difference between a current energy level of an energy storage apparatus at the NFC device and a given amount of energy for performing a given function at the NFC device;

determining, using the processor the difference from the energy data; and

,

transmitting, using the module, an amount of energy corresponding to the difference, to the NFC device.