Method of operating an RFID-enabled mobile telephone, mobile telephone, remote unit and application program product

• US 9,984,262 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Idp Invent AG
• Original Assignee: Idp Invent AG
• Inventors: Schtz, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Dionne H
• Application Number:
  US14/888,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20160078261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,493 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method is disclosed of operating a RFID-enabled mobile telephone for indicating information of at least one portable object (e.g. key, passport, glasses or medical box). The mobile telephone has an RFID communication unit and the method includes operating the RFID communication unit for receiving an RFID signal from an RFID tag that is attached to the at least one portable object; evaluating the received RFID signal for determining tag information; and presenting the tag information to the user of the mobile telephone for indicating current information of the at least one portable object. This way, up-to-date information of the portable objects is available precisely when needed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile telephone for indicating information of at least one portable object, the mobile telephone having an RFID communication unit, the RFD communication unit including a first antenna, and the method comprising:

operating the RFID communication unit for receiving an RFID signal from an RFID tag that is attached to at least one portable object;

evaluating the received RFID signal for determining tag information;

presenting the tag information to a user of the mobile telephone for indicating current information of the at least one portable object; and

receiving a user control command and thereupon activating the RFID communication unit for operating the RFID communication unit, the user control command being received via a user input interface of the mobile telephone and/or of a remote unit, the remote unit including a second antenna and a signal processor connected to the second antenna,

wherein the RFID communication unit is configured to provide an RFID read range between 0.2 m and 3 m and/or a maximum transmission power of 0.5 or 1 Watt ERP.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving of the user control command comprises:

detecting a user initiated event as an occurrence of at least one of;

a manipulation, via an actuation of a button,

an acoustic signal, via a spoken command, and

an acceleration, via a movement pattern.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein operating the RAD communication unit comprises:

using a user-controlled amount of energy and/or an amount of energy allocated in dependency of the received RFID signal, by emitting an RFID signal with a controlled strength and/or during a controlled period of time.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein operating of the RFD communication unit comprises:

at least temporarily disabling telecommunication by reallocating a power supply of the mobile telephone and/or by reconfiguring a telecommunication unit of the mobile telephone to operate as the RFID communication unit.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein evaluating the received RFID signal comprises:

identifying the RFID tag and/or determining location information, by determining at least one of;

a presence or an absence of the REID tag in an REID read range of the mobile telephone,

a proximity of the RFID tag to the mobile telephone,

a distance between the RFID tag and the mobile telephone,

a movement of the RFID tag relative to the mobile telephone,

a position of the RFID tag relative to the mobile telephone, and

an absolute position of the RFID tag.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

presenting the tag information via a user output interface of the mobile telephone and/or at least partly via a user output interface of the remote unit, which is connected to the mobile telephone via a local wireless connection, wherein the remote unit presents information of the local wireless connection.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

automatically repeating at least an operating of the RFID communication unit, after a user definable and/or a predetermined period of time of 1 to 10 s.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein evaluating the received RFID signal comprises:

activating an alarm unit, if the tag information substantially deviates from a previously determined tag information where the intensity of the received RFID signal drops below a predetermined level.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon a computer program executable on a mobile telephone, the computer program causing a processor provided in the mobile telephone to perform the method according to claim 1, wherein the presentation of the tag information is selectable and/or configurable by a user of the mobile telephone.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, comprising:

a set of multiple user selectable scenarios, which include a user configurable and/or user designable visualization.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag and the RFID signal is a backscattered signal.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the RFID communication unit is configured to operate at frequencies used for wireless local communication LAN.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the RFID communication unit is configured to operate at frequencies used for WLAN or Bluetooth.

14. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

automatically repeating at least an operating of the RFID communication unit, after a user definable and/or a predetermined period of time of 2 to 4 s.

15. A mobile telephone for indicating information of at least one portable object, the mobile telephone comprising:

an RFID communication unit for receiving an RFID signal transmitted from an RFID tag that is attached to at least one portable object, the RFID communication unit including a first antenna; and

a first signal processor configured to evaluate the received RFID signal to determine tag information, the first signal processor being electrically connected to the RFID communication unit and to a user output interface,

wherein the mobile telephone is configured to present the tag information via the user output interface for indicating current information of the at least one portable object,

and wherein the RFID communication unit is configured to provide an RFID read range between 0.2 m and 3 m and/or a maximum transmission power of 0.5 or 1 Watt ERP.

16. The mobile telephone according to claim 15, wherein the RFID communication unit and/or the first antenna thereof is/are multifunctional, and configurable to provide a telecommunication connection and/or a local communication connection for connecting the mobile telephone to a remote unit, the remote unit including a second antenna and a second signal processor connected to the second antenna.

17. A remote unit including a second antenna and a second signal processor connected to the second antenna, wherein the remote unit is configured to be connectable via a local wireless connection to the mobile telephone according to claim 15, wherein the remote unit is configured to receive tag information from the mobile telephone and to present the received information via a user output interface of the remote unit and, to indicate information of the local wireless connection, and wherein the mobile telephone and/or the remote unit is/are configured to receive a user control command via a user input interface of the mobile telephone and/or of the remote unit and the mobile telephone is configured to thereupon activate the RFID communication unit for operating the RFID communication unit.