One touch product information on mobile communication device using near field communication

• US 9,444,518 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohren, Christopher Mark, Hedrick, Charles Donald Jr., Sleeper, Herbert, Chinnappa, Sarvesh, Rosewall, Samuel David Jr., Transfiguracion, Jason Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US14/332,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• 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 one-touch application is launched by a user of a mobile communication device (MCD) selecting a single selector element on the MCD, and in response the MCD automatically and without further user interaction establishes near field communication (NFC) with an electronic product, receives identifying data from the electronic product over NFC, and uploads the identifying data wirelessly to a cloud server associated with a manufacturer of the electronic product. The server sends back to the MCD and/or to the electronic product information about the electronic product.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device (MCD) comprising:

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor for;

establishing a wireless near field communication (NFC) link with an electronic product;

receiving at least identifying data of the product over the link;

sending the identifying data of the product to a network server; and

in response to sending the identifying data of the product to a network server, obtaining from a network server information about the product, wherein the information about the product is sent from the MCD to the product for display thereof on the product.

2. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable for:

invoking an information application responsive to a single user selection of a selector element to invoke the information application; and

automatically and without further user interaction execute the information application to undertake the establishing, receiving, sending, and obtaining acts.

3. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the receiving, sending, and obtaining acts are executed using wireless communication.

4. The MCD of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receiving, sending, and obtaining acts is executed using wireless communication.

5. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the MCD and the product both use a predetermined communication protocol to communicate over NFC, the predetermined protocol at least in part defining data fields in which the identifying data is contained.

6. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the identifying, data includes product serial number.

7. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the identifying data includes product model number.

8. The MCD of claim 7, wherein the identifying data includes product serial number.

9. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the identifying data includes firmware version of the product.

10. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the information about the product includes product registration continuation.

11. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the information about the product includes recall information related to the product.

12. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the information about the product includes operating instructions pertaining to the product and/or at least one user manual and/or at least one support form by which a user can request technical support for the product and/or an application sent from the server to the MCD and executed by the MCD to alter at least one configuration parameter of the MCD.

13. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the receiving at least identifying data of the product over the link is precipitated by a user of the MCD physically touching the MCD to the product as sensed by at least one sensor in the MCD and/or product.

14. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable for sending the identifying data of the product only to a server associated with a manufacturer of the product.

15. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the information about the product includes a network address and/or hyperlink selectable by a user to establish communication with a network site providing a user guide for the product.

16. The MCD of claim 1, comprising the at least one processor.

18. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the information about the product includes an application sent from the server to the MCD and executed by the MCD to communicate with the product to cause the product to alter at least one configuration parameter of the product.

17. A mobile communication device (MCD) comprising:

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor for;

establishing a wireless near field communication (NFC) link with an electronic product;

receiving at least identifying data of the product over the link;

sending the identifying data of the product to a network server; and

wherein in response to sending the identifying data of the product to a network server, the network server sends information about the product to the product without passing through the MCD.

19. Method comprising:

establishing near field communication (NFC) between a mobile communication device (MCD) and an electronic product;

using NFC to receive identifying data of the product at the MCD;

wirelessly uploading the identifying data of the product to an Internet server; and

receiving from an Internet server information about the product, wherein the information about the product is sent from MCD to the product for display thereof.

20. System comprising:

mobile communication device (MCD) including at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

establish near field communication (NFC) with an electronic product to be vended;

receive identifying data from the electronic product using NFC, and

upload the data to a server associated with a manufacturer of the electronic product to receive back information about the product wherein in response to sending the identifying data of the product to the server, the server sends information about the product to the product.