SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED NFC TAG USING PLURALITY OF NFC TAGS ASSOCIATED WITH LOCATION OR DEVICES TO COMMUNICATE WITH COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20110070834A1
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• 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: FYKE, Steven H., GRIFFIN, Jason Tyler
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/087 flux-sensitive, e.g. magnetic, detectors G06K7/10336 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/45 Transponders

Abstract

A Near Field Communications (NFC) tag includes a housing and a magnet carried by the housing and configured to be magnetically sensed by a magnetic sensor carried by a communications device to activate an NFC circuit within the communications device to communicate using an NFC communications protocol. A data store stores data regarding a function of the communications device to be magnetically coupled by the magnet. The data store is configured to be read by the communications device using an NFC communications protocol after the NFC circuit had been activated.

Claims

1. A Near Field Communications (NFC) tag, comprising:

a housing;

a magnet carried by the housing and configured to be magnetically sensed by a magnetic sensor carried by a communications device to activate an NFC circuit within the communications device to communicate using an NFC communications protocol; and

a data store that stores data regarding a function of the communications device to be magnetically coupled by the magnet, wherein the data store is configured to be read by the communications device using an NFC communications protocol after the NFC circuit had been activated.

2. The NFC tag according to claim 1, and further comprising a processor connected to the data store and configured to change the data stored within the data store.

3. The NFC tag according to claim 1, and further comprising an NFC circuit carried by the housing and connected to said processor, wherein said processor is configured to be programmable based on instructions received from the communications device using the NFC communications protocol.

4. A sticker for attachment to a surface to initiate communications, the sticker comprising:

a support;

a magnet carried by the support and configured to be magnetically sensed by a magnetic sensor carried by a communications device to activate an NFC circuit within the communications device to communicate using an NEC communications protocol; and

a data store that stores data regarding a function of the communications device to be magnetically coupled by the magnet, wherein the data store is configured to be read by the communications device using an NFC communications protocol after the NEC circuit had been activated.

5. The sticker according to claim 4, wherein said data comprises a Bluetooth SSID and security key.

6. The sticker according to claim 4, wherein the sticker comprises a shape recognizable by the communications device.

7. The sticker according to claim 4, wherein the sticker includes reference marks to align the communications device.

8. A communications system, comprising:

a plurality of Near Field Communications (NEC) tags dispersed throughout a work space, each NEC tag comprising;

a housing;

a magnet carried by the housing and configured to be magnetically sensed by a magnetic sensor carried by a communications device to activate an NEC circuit within the communications device and communicate using an NFC communications protocol; and

a data store that stores data regarding a function of the communications device to be magnetically coupled by the magnet, wherein the data store is configured to be read by the communications device using an NFC communications protocol after the NFC circuit had been activated,

wherein each NFC tag is mounted within the work space to interact based on instructions stored within the data store regarding the function of the communications device.

9. The communications system according to claim 8, wherein, in at least one NFC tag, said data comprises a Bluetooth SSID and security key.

10. The communications system according to claim 8, further comprising a processor connected to the data store and configured to change the data stored within the data store.

11. The communications system according to claim 10, further comprising an NFC circuit carried by the housing and connected to said processor, wherein said processor is configured to be programmable based on instructions received from the communications device using an NFC communications protocol.

12. A method for initiating communications at a communications device, the method comprising:

magnetically coupling the communications device to a Near Field Communications (NEC) sticker;

in response to the magnetically coupling to the NFC sticker, activating an NFC circuit contained in the communications device for subsequent communications using the NFC communications protocol; and

receiving stored data from the NEC sticker regarding a function of the communications device.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising changing any data stored within the NFC sticker.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising recognizing a shape of the sticker during the step of magnetically coupling.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising aligning the communications device to a reference mark on the sticker during the step of magnetically coupling.