NFC device context determination through proximity gestural movement detection

• US 9,306,626 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Steven D., Brand, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, ANGELICA
• Application Number:
  US13/473,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20130309964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 340/825.72, 340/13.24, 379/55.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems

Abstract

An apparatus and system are provided for interpreting the gestural path of a first NFC device within NFC range of a second NFC device, or the gestural path of the second NFC device within range of the first NFC device, to determine context for a pre-determined function. The second NFC device includes a plurality of inductive coupling elements, each element configured to output a signal when within range of the first NFC device. A controller module receives the signal from each element when the first NFC device is within range and determines a path of the first NFC device across the second NFC device based on a time difference of receipt at the controller of the signals. The plurality of inductive coupling elements may be active or passive, and interact with the first NFC device in a peer-to-peer mode or read/write mode, depending on the configuration of each device.

Claims

1. A first near field communication (NFC) capable device, comprising:

a primary inductive coupling element configured to generate a magnetic field;

a plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements, the generated magnetic field being configured to induce a plurality of magnetic fields in the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements, the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements being configured to provide one or more detection signals from among a plurality of detection signals when a second NFC capable device causes one or more induced magnetic fields from among the plurality of induced magnetic fields to vary; and

a controller module configured to analyze variations of the plurality of induced magnetic fields in relative time to each other to determine a motion of the second NFC capable device relative to the first NFC capable device based on the plurality of detection signals.

2. The first NFC capable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of envelope detectors, each envelope detector from among the plurality of envelope detectors being coupled to a corresponding secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements, the plurality of envelope detectors being configured to detect variations in the plurality of induced magnetic fields,

wherein the controller module is configured to determine the motion based upon the variations.

3. The first NFC capable device of claim 2, wherein the controller module is configured to:

select a stored motion from among a plurality of stored motions that corresponds to the motion, and

execute a predetermined function that corresponds to the stored motion.

4. The first NFC capable device of claim 1, wherein the first NFC capable device is implemented as part of a corresponding NFC reader array from among a plurality of NFC reader arrays.

5. The first NFC capable device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements is spatially arranged such that a first induced magnetic field from among the plurality of induced magnetic fields that is induced in a first secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements is minimally affected by the second NFC capable device passing over a second secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements.

6. The first NFC capable device of claim 1, wherein a first induced magnetic field from among the plurality of induced magnetic fields that is induced in a first secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements changes from a first level to a second level when the second NFC capable device passes over a second secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements.

7. The first NFC capable device of claim 6, wherein the controller module is configured to determine the second NFC capable device passes over the secondary inductive coupling element based on a change from the first level to the second level.

8. The first NFC capable device of claim 1, wherein a first induced magnetic field from among the plurality of induced magnetic fields that corresponds to a first secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements changes at a first instance in time,

wherein a second induced magnetic field from among the plurality of induced magnetic fields that corresponds to a second secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements changes at a second instance in time, and

wherein the controller module is configured to determine the second NFC capable device passed from the first secondary inductive coupling element at the first instance in time to the second secondary inductive coupling element at the second instance in time.

9. A first near field communication (NFC) capable device, comprising:

a primary inductive coupling element configured to generate a magnetic field to communicate with a second NFC capable device;

a plurality of secondary inductive coupling, elements, the generated magnetic field being configured to induce a plurality of magnetic fields in the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements, the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements being configured to provide a plurality of induced currents in response to the plurality of induced magnetic fields; and

a controller module configured to determine a motion of the second NFC capable device relative to the first NFC capable device based on variations in the plurality of induced currents.

10. The first NFC capable device of claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of envelope detectors, each envelope detector from among the plurality envelope detectors being coupled to a corresponding secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements, the plurality of envelope detectors being configured to detect the variations in the plurality of induced currents.

11. The first NFC capable device of claim 9, wherein the controller module is configured to:

select a stored motion from among a plurality of stored motions that corresponds to the motion, and

execute a predetermined function that corresponds to the stored motion.

12. The first NFC capable device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements is spatially arranged such that a corresponding induced magnetic field from among the plurality of induced magnetic fields coupled onto a first secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements is minimally affected by the second NFC capable device passing over a second secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements.

13. The first NFC capable device of claim 9, wherein a corresponding induced magnetic field from among the plurality of induced magnetic fields of a first secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements changes from a first level to a second level when the second NFC capable device passes over a second secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements.

14. The first NFC capable device of claim 13, wherein the controller module is configured to determine the second NFC capable device passes over the secondary inductive coupling element based on a change from the first level to the second level.

15. The first NFC capable device of claim 9, wherein the controller module is configured to analyze the variations in the plurality of induced currents in relative time to each other to determine the motion.

16. The first NFC capable device of claim 15, wherein a first induced current from among the plurality of induced currents that corresponds to a first secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements changes at a first instance in time,

wherein a second induced current from among the plurality of induced currents that corresponds to a second secondary inductive coupling element from among the plurality of secondary inductive coupling elements changes at a second instance in time, and

wherein the controller module is configured to determine the second NFC capable device passed from the first secondary inductive coupling element at the first instance in time to the second secondary inductive coupling element at the second instance in time.