Techniques for wireless communication of proximity based content

• US 10,117,050 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freelinc Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Freelinc Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Dobyns, Douglas Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): TALUKDER, MD K
• Application Number:
  US15/381,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412, 455 413, 4554563, 4554261, 455292, 455418
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A system and method for communication of proximity based content is disclosed between a mobile computing device having a Short Range Communication (SRC) device and a Proximity Short Range Communication (PSRC) device associated with a location or object using near field magnetic induction. The SRC device and/or the PSRC device can include at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity. The method comprises defining a proximity boundary with dimensions defined by a magnetic induction diversity communication range of at least one of the SRC and PSRC devices. A proximity signal is communicated in the proximity boundary between the SRC device and the PSRC device. At least one action is performed by the mobile computing device or the PSRC device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.

Claims

1. An apparatus of a Short Range Communication (SRC) device configured for the wireless communication of proximity based content, the apparatus configured to:

define a proximity boundary with dimensions defined by a selected magnetic induction diversity communication range of the SRC device, wherein

the SRC device is configured to communicate using magnetic induction;

the SRC device includes at least two substantially orthogonal antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity; and

the SRC device is coupled to a mobile computing device;

communicate a proximity signal in the proximity boundary from the at least one selected antenna between the SRC device and a PSRC device using the magnetic induction diversity to substantially reduce a variability of the dimensions of the proximity boundary defined by the selected magnetic induction diversity communication range;

perform at least one action by at least one of the mobile computing device and the PSRC device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device; and

set at least one rule for a proximity based communication filter module, which is associated with the mobile computing device, regarding the wireless communication of proximity based content, the at least one rule identifying the at least one action performed by the mobile computing device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the at least one action is performed by the mobile computing device based on the at least one rule when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to:

set at least one rule for a proximity based communication filter module, which is associated with a proximity computing device that includes the PSRC device and is associated with at least one of a location and an object, regarding the wireless communication of proximity based content, the at least one rule identifying at least one action performed by the proximity computing device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device,

wherein the at least one action is performed by the proximity computing device based on the at least one rule when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further configured to store the at least one rule for the proximity based communication filter module on the mobile computing device to increase a user'"'"'s privacy.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communicating of the proximity signal in the proximity boundary between the SRC device and the PSRC device comprises one of transmitting the proximity signal from the PSRC device to the SRC device and transmitting the proximity signal from the SRC device to the PSRC device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the performing of the at least one action by one of the mobile computing device and the PSRC device comprises communicating content to the mobile computing device related to a location or object associated with the PSRC device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the content related to the location or object associated with the PSRC device is communicated to the mobile computing device using a media communication device that does not communicate using near field magnetic induction.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the performing of the at least one action by one of the mobile computing device and the PSRC device further comprises storing the received content in a memory of the mobile computing device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the performing of the at least one action by one of the mobile computing device and the PSRC device comprises communicating content to the PSRC device from the mobile computing device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the content is communicated from the mobile computing device to the PSRC device via the SRC device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the content is communicated from the mobile computing device to the PSRC device via a media communication device that does not communicate using near field magnetic induction.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PSRC device is a Near Field Communication (NFC) compliant device, and:

wherein the SRC device is a Multi-Mode Magnetic Induction Communication (MMMIC) device having magnetic induction diversity.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the MMMIC device includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) compliant mode to transmit and receive with an NFC compliant device within a distance of less than approximately 10 centimeters.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the MMMIC device includes a close proximity communication mode to transmit and receive with a close proximity communication device within a distance of less than approximately 30 centimeters.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the MMMIC device is configured to communicate simultaneously with at least two NFC compliant devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising detecting the proximity signal at the SRC device that is transmitted by the PSRC device at a distance of greater than about 10 centimeters (cm).

17. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising determining that the at least one of the location and the object is located within a range corresponding to dimensions of the proximity boundary.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a range of the proximity signal is a distance that is less than λ

/2pi meters between the SRC device and the PSRC device, where λ

is a wavelength of the proximity signal in meters.

19. An apparatus of a proximity short range communication (PSRC) device configured for the wireless communication of proximity based content, the apparatus configured to:

define a proximity boundary with dimensions defined by a selected magnetic induction diversity communication range of the PSRC device, wherein

the PSRC device is configured to communicate using magnetic induction;

the PSRC device includes at least two substantially orthogonal antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity, wherein the magnetic induction diversity is used to substantially reduce a variability of an edge of the defined proximity boundary; and

the PSRC device is associated with at least one of a location and an object;

communicate a proximity signal in the proximity boundary from the at least one selected antenna between a SRC device and the PSRC device, wherein the SRC device is coupled to a mobile computing device;

perform at least one action by at least one of the mobile computing device and the PSRC device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device; and

set at least one rule for a proximity based communication filter module, which is associated with a proximity computing device that includes the PSRC device, regarding the wireless communication of proximity based content, the at least one rule identifying at least one action performed by the proximity computing device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19,

wherein the at least one action is performed by the proximity computing device based on the at least one rule when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the communicating of the proximity signal in the proximity boundary between the SRC device and the PSRC device comprises one of transmitting the proximity signal from the PSRC device to the SRC device and transmitting the proximity signal from the SRC device to the PSRC device.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the performing of the at least one action by one of the mobile computing device and the PSRC device comprises communicating content to the mobile computing device related to a location or object associated with the PSRC device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the content related to the location or object associated with the PSRC device is communicated from the PSRC device to the mobile computing device via the SRC device.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the content related to the location or object associated with the PSRC device is communicated to the mobile computing device using a media communication device that does not communicate using near field magnetic induction.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the performing of the at least one action by one of the mobile computing device and the PSRC device further comprises storing the received content in a memory of the mobile computing device.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the PSRC device is a Near Field Communication (NFC) compliant device, and wherein the SRC device is a Multi-Mode Magnetic Induction Communication (MMMIC) device having magnetic induction diversity.

27. At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon for communicating proximity based content, the instructions when executed on a mobile computing device perform the following:

define a proximity boundary with dimensions defined by a selected magnetic induction diversity communication range of an SRC device, wherein

the SRC device is configured to communicate using magnetic induction;

the SRC device includes at least two substantially orthogonal antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity; and

the SRC device is coupled to the mobile computing device;

communicate a proximity signal in the proximity boundary from the at least one selected antenna between the SRC device and a PSRC device using the magnetic induction diversity to substantially reduce a variability of the dimensions of the proximity boundary defined by the selected magnetic induction diversity communication range;

perform at least one action by at least one of the mobile computing device and the PSRC device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device; and

set at least one rule for a proximity based communication filter module, which is associated with the mobile computing device, regarding the wireless communication of proximity based content, the at least one rule identifying the at least one action performed by the mobile computing device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.

28. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 27,

wherein the at least one action is performed by the mobile computing device based on the at least one rule when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.

29. At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon for communicating proximity based content, the instructions when executed by a PSRC device perform the following:

define a proximity boundary with dimensions defined by a selected magnetic induction diversity communication range of the PSRC device, wherein

the PSRC device is configured to communicate using magnetic induction;

the PSRC device includes at least two substantially orthogonal antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity, wherein the magnetic induction diversity is used to substantially reduce a variability of an edge of the defined proximity boundary; and

the PSRC device is associated with at least one of a location and an object;

communicate a proximity signal in the proximity boundary from the at least one selected antenna between a SRC device and the PSRC device, wherein the SRC device is coupled to a mobile computing device;

perform at least one action by at least one of the mobile computing device and the PSRC device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device; and

set at least one rule for a proximity based communication filter module, which is associated with a proximity computing device that includes the PSRC device, regarding the wireless communication of proximity based content, the at least one rule identifying at least one action performed by the proximity computing device when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.

30. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 29,

wherein the at least one action is performed by the proximity computing device based on the at least one rule when the proximity signal is detected between the SRC device and the PSRC device.