Communications device, method and system for establishing wireless communications between communications devices

• US 9,455,768 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• 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 T., Fyke, Steven H.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIAO, HSINCHUN
• Application Number:
  US12/565,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,560 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.3, 455/41.2, 455/73, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• 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 device, method, and system are disclosed for establishing wireless communications between communications devices comprising respective magnets and magnetic sensors each located on first and second communications device and aligned such that a magnet on the first communications device is aligned with a magnetic sensor on the second communications device and a magnet on the second communications device is aligned with a magnetic sensor on the first communications device. In response, a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit contained in each of the first and second communications devices is activated and data exchanged between the first and second communications devices using a NFC communications protocol.

Claims

1. A communications device, comprising:

a housing;

a user interface carried by the housing;

radio frequency (RF) circuitry comprising Bluetooth circuitry and a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the user interface and RF circuitry;

a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit positioned in the housing and connected to the processor for communicating using an NFC communications protocol; and

a magnetic sensor supported by the housing and connected to the processor for sensing a magnetic field from a NFC enabled device and generating a signal to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to switch on the NFC circuit and activate the NFC circuit and transmit or receive Bluetooth configuration data with the NFC enabled device using the NFC communications protocol in response to the signal to establish Bluetooth communications with the NFC enabled device,

wherein the NFC circuit is in a lower power state when not switched on,

the Bluetooth circuitry being activated after the NFC circuit receives the Bluetooth configuration data and receives into the processor from the NFC enabled device data regarding remote operation of the NFC enabled device using NFC communications, and

the processor is operative with the Bluetooth circuitry to control the NFC enabled device using the Bluetooth communications,

wherein the control of the NFC enabled device by the processor is based on priority rules that identify a first task of a first application of the communications device that is to be performed prior to a second task of a second application of the NFC enabled device.

2. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein the priority rules automatically adjust responsive to the communications device moving between a home environment and a work environment.

3. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic sensor comprises a Hall Effect sensor, wherein said processor receives signals indicative of voltage variations within the Hall Effect sensor and turns on and activates the NFC circuit based on the voltage variations, and wherein said Hall Effect sensor is operative in adjacent, non-contact relation to a magnet.

4. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein the NFC enabled device is physically connected with a vehicle, and wherein the control of the NFC enabled device using the Bluetooth communications includes controlling an operation of the vehicle.

5. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein said RF circuitry comprises WiFi circuitry for establishing a WiFi wireless communications connection.

6. The communications device according to claim 1, and further comprising a magnet carried by the housing that is sensed by a magnetic sensor carried in a separate communications device when in proximity for device-to-device communication.

7. The communications device according to claim 6, and wherein said magnet and magnetic sensor are positioned on the housing.

8. A method for establishing wireless communications between first and second communications devices each comprising radio frequency (RF) circuitry comprising Bluetooth circuitry, a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit, and processor coupled to the RF circuitry and the NFC circuit, and the first communications device including a user interface coupled to the processor of the first communications device, the method comprising:

aligning respective magnets and magnetic sensors each located on first and second communications devices such that a magnet on the first communications device is aligned with a magnetic sensor on the second communications device and a magnet on the second communications device is aligned with a magnetic sensor on the first communications device;

switching on and activating a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit contained in at least one of the first and second communications devices in response to sensing the magnet on the respective other communications device for enabling communication between the first and second communications devices, wherein the NFC circuit in the at least one of the first and second communications devices is in a lower power state when not switched on; and

exchanging Bluetooth configuration data between the first and second communications devices using a NFC communications protocol; and

switching on and activating a Bluetooth circuit in at least one of the first and second communications devices and negotiating and establishing Bluetooth communications between the at least first and second communications devices and receiving into the processor via Bluetooth communications from the second communications device data regarding remote operation of the second communications device, and controlling the second communications device from the first communications device using Bluetooth communications;

wherein the controlling of the second communications device is based on priority rules that identify a first task of a first application of the first communications device that is to be performed prior to a second task of a second application of the second communications device.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising turning on and activating the NFC circuits within respective communications devices when the devices are in physical contact.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising turning on and activating the NFC circuits within respective communications devices when the devices are adjacent to each other.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising establishing a wireless communications connection different than the NFC communications protocol based on the data exchanged between the first and second communications devices.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising exchanging a personal identification number (PIN) and security key between the first and second communications devices using the NFC communications protocol for establishing a Bluetooth communications connection.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising establishing a wireless communications connection using a WiFi communications protocol.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising using a Hall Effect sensor located within a communications device to sense a magnet.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising sensing voltage variations from the Hall Effect sensor within a processor of the communications device to determine that the NFC circuit should be turned on and activated.

16. A system for communicating, comprising:

first and second communications devices and each having a processor and a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit and Bluetooth circuitry connected to the processor for communicating using a NFC communications protocol and Bluetooth communications and a magnet and magnetic sensor connected to the processor for sensing a magnetic field from a respective magnet in the other communications device and generating a signal to the processor, wherein the first communications device includes a user interface coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to turn on and activate the NFC circuit for transmitting or receiving Bluetooth configuration data using the NFC communications protocol in response to the signal and wherein the NFC circuit is in a lower power state when not switched on, wherein respective magnets and magnetic sensors are aligned for turning on and activating the NFC circuit to exchange Bluetooth configuration data between the devices using the NFC communications protocol, the Bluetooth circuitry being activated after the NFC circuit receives the Bluetooth configuration data and receives into the processor from the second communications device data regarding remote operation of the second communications device, and the processor is operative with the Bluetooth circuitry to control the NFC enabled second communications device using the Bluetooth communications,

wherein the control of the second communications device is based on priority rules that identify a first task of a first application of the first communications device that is to be performed prior to a second task of a second application of the second communications device.