System and associated NFC tag using plurality of NFC tags associated with location or devices to communicate with communications device

• US 9,246,555 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler, Fyke, Steven Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US12/889,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/087 flux-sensitive, e.g. magnetic, detectors G06K7/10336 takes precedence
• 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: H04B 5/45 Transponders

Abstract

A Near Field Communications (NFC) tag includes a housing and a magnet carried by the housing and configured to be magnetically sensed by a magnetic sensor carried by a communications device to activate an NFC circuit within the communications device to communicate using an NFC communications protocol. A data store stores data regarding a function of the communications device to be magnetically coupled by the magnet. The data store is configured to be read by the communications device using an NFC communications protocol after the NFC circuit had been activated.

Claims

1. A Near Field Communications (NFC) tag, comprising:

a housing;

a processor carried by the housing;

an NFC circuit carried by the housing and connected to the processor;

a magnet carried by the housing and configured to be magnetically sensed by a magnetic sensor carried by a communications device to activate another NFC circuit within the communications device to communicate using an NFC communications protocol;

a data store carried by the housing and connected to the processor that stores first data regarding a function of the communications device to be magnetically coupled by the magnet and second data regarding configuration options for a controllable device to be controlled by the communications device, wherein the NFC tag is coupled with the controllable device, and wherein the configuration options enable the communications device to initiate operations performed by the controllable device; and

a data entry point connected to the data store that receives new data from the communications device, wherein the data entry point comprises a user interface carried by the housing that enables a user to manually provide third data for storage in the data store, wherein the data store is read by the processor after the NFC circuit had been activated and configured to upload the new data from the communications device, wherein the third data is read from the data store, by the another NFC circuit within the communications device using the NFC communications protocol, and wherein the user interface is selected from a scanner and a keypad.

2. The NFC tag according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to change data stored within the data store.

3. The NFC tag according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to be programmable based on instructions received from the communications device using the NFC communications protocol.

4. A communications system, comprising:

a plurality of Near Field Communications (NFC) tags dispersed throughout a work space, each NFC tag comprising;

a housing;

a processor carried by the housing;

an NFC circuit carried by the housing and connected to the processor;

a magnet carried by the housing and configured to be magnetically sensed by a magnetic sensor carried by a communications device to activate another NFC circuit within the communications device and communicate using an NFC communications protocol;

a data store carried by the housing and connected to the processor that stores data regarding a function of the communications device to be magnetically coupled by the magnet and configuration options for controllable devices to be controlled by the communications device, wherein the data store is read by the processor after the NFC circuit had been activated; and

a user interface carried by the housing and in communication with the data store, wherein the user interface is configured to receive manually entered data for storage in the data store, and wherein the user interface is selected from a scanner and a keypad,

wherein each NFC tag is mounted within the work space to interact based on instructions stored within the data store regarding the function of the communications device and the configuration options for a controllable device to be controlled by the communications device, wherein the configuration options enable the communications device to initiate operations performed by the controllable device, and at least one of the NFC tags includes a data entry point connected to the data store that receives new data into the data store after having been scanned, wherein the data store is read by the processor after the NFC circuit had been activated and configured to upload the new data from the communications device.

5. The communications system according to claim 4, wherein, in at least one NFC tag, the data store comprises a Bluetooth SSID and security key.

6. The communications system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to change data stored within the data store.

7. The communications system according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to be programmable based on instructions received from the communications device using an NFC communications protocol.

8. A method for initiating communications at a communications device, the method comprising:

initiating communications from a communications device to a NFC tag that includes a housing, a processor carried by the housing, a data store carried by the housing and connected to the processor, a user interface carried by the housing, connected to the processor and in communication with the data store; and

a NFC circuit carried by the housing and connected to the processor and magnetically coupling the communications device to the NFC tag and in response, activating the NFC circuit, wherein the user interface is selected from a scanner and a keypad;

receiving data through a data entry point of the Near Field Communications (NFC) tag from the communications device and storing the data in the data store of the NFC tag after having been scanned;

receiving third data for storage in the data store, wherein the third data is obtained manually by the user interface;

updating the data stored in the data store with new data and the third data to obtain updated stored data; and

wherein the data store is read by the processor after the NFC circuit had been activated and configured to upload new data to obtain uploaded new data from the communications device and the data store including configuration options for a controllable device to be controlled by the communications device, and the communications device receiving the updated stored data comprising the third data and the configuration options from the NFC tag to control the controllable device including initiating operations performed by the controllable device.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising changing any data stored within the NFC tag.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising recognizing a shape of the tag during the step of magnetically coupling.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising aligning the communications device to a reference mark on the tag during the step of magnetically coupling.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the initiating of operations performed by the controllable device comprises turning the controllable device on.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the controllable device is a vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the initiating of operations performed by the controllable device comprises causing a receipt for a transaction to be generated.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein the initiating of operations performed by the controllable device comprises opening a door of the controllable device.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the controllable device comprises a video recorder.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the initiating of operations performed by the controllable device comprises performing a financial transaction.