MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE, METHOD AND SYSTEM USING MAGNETIC SENSOR AND ACTIVATED NFC CIRCUIT FOR ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES

• US 20110070826A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Fyke, Steven H., Griffin, Jason T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and a circuit board carried by the housing. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor are carried by the housing and operative with each other. A Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit is connected to the processor for communicating using an NFC communications protocol. A magnetic sensor is supported by the housing and connected to the processor for sensing a magnetic field and generating a signal to the processor and in response, the processor activating the NFC circuit for transmitting or receiving data using the NFC communications protocol.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

a housing;

radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor carried by the housing and operative with each other;

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

a magnetic sensor supported by the housing and connected to the processor and configured to sense a magnet of another mobile wireless communications device when the magnetic sensor is aligned with the magnet located on the other mobile wireless communications device and generate a signal to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to activate, in response to the signal, the NFC circuit to transmit or receive data regarding a function of one of the communications devices with the other mobile wireless communications device using the NFC communications protocol.

2. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes a top.

3. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 2, wherein the magnetic sensor is positioned at the top of the housing.

4. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic sensor comprises a Hall Effect sensor.

5. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 4, wherein said processor receives signals indicative of voltage variations within the Hall Effect sensor and based on the voltage variations activates the NFC circuit.

6. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 4, wherein said Hall Effect sensor is operative in adjacent, non-contact relation to a magnet.

7. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein the RF circuitry is activated after receiving data using the NFC communications protocol related to a wireless communications connection different than the NFC communications protocol to be established with another communications device.

8. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 7, wherein said RF circuitry comprises Bluetooth circuitry for establishing a Bluetooth wireless communications connection.

9. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 7, wherein said RF circuitry comprises WiFi circuitry for establishing a WiFi wireless communications connection.

10. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to make an address book exchange.

11. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to make a scheduled meeting in a calendar application.

12. A method for establishing wireless communications between communications devices, the method comprising:

providing first and second mobile wireless communications devices each comprising a housing and a processor and RF circuitry carried by the housing, each device further comprising a magnet and magnetic sensor carried by the housing, said magnetic sensor connected to the processor, and a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit connected to the processor;

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

activating the NFC circuit contained in at least one mobile wireless communications device in response to sensing the magnet on the respective other mobile wireless communication device; and

exchanging data between the first and second mobile wireless communications devices regarding a function of one of the communications devices using an NFC communications protocol.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising using a Hall Effect sensor located within the first communications device to sense the magnet located on the second communications device.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising sensing voltage variations from the Hall Effect sensor within the processor of the respective mobile wireless communications device and signaling the NFC circuit from the processor for activating the NFC circuit.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising positioning the magnet and magnetic sensor of the first communications device on the housing adjacent to each other.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising activating the NFC circuit within respective mobile wireless communications devices when the devices are in physical contact.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising activating the NFC circuits within respective mobile wireless communications devices when the devices are adjacent to each other.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising establishing a wireless communications connection different than the NFC communications protocol between first and second mobile wireless communications devices based on the data exchanged between first and second communications devices using RF circuitry within each mobile wireless communications device.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising transmitting and receiving communications protocol data between first and second mobile wireless communications devices using the NFC communications protocol and negotiating and establishing the wireless communications connection based on the communications protocol data exchanged between the first and second mobile wireless communications devices using the NFC communications protocol.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising exchanging a personal identification number (PIN) and security key between the first and second mobile wireless communications devices using NFC for establishing the wireless communications connection.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising establishing a Bluetooth communications protocol.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising establishing a WiFi communications protocol.

23. The method according to claim 12, wherein each communications device comprises a mobile wireless communications device.

24. The method according to claim 12, further comprising making an address book exchange.

25. The method according to claim 12, further comprising making a scheduled meeting in a calendar application.

26. A system for communicating, comprising:

first and second mobile wireless communications devices each having a housing and radio frequency circuitry and a processor and a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit connected to the processor for communicating using an NFC communications protocol and a magnet and a magnetic sensor connected to the processor for sensing a magnetic field and generating a signal to the processor and in response, the processor configured to activate the NFC circuit for transmitting or receiving data regarding a function of one of mobile wireless communications devices using the NFC communications protocol, wherein respective magnets and magnetic sensors are aligned for activating an NFC circuit to exchange data between the mobile wireless communications devices regarding a function of one of the communications devices using the NFC communications protocol.