Method of releasing communication between at least two communication devices

• US 7,412,230 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Thueringer, Peter, Amtmann, Franz, Breitfuss, Klemens, Meindl, Reinhard, Kunkat, Holger, Posch, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Balaoing; Ariel
• Application Number:
  US10/507,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20050164676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455 411- 413, 455/450, 380/270, 380/278, 713/169, 713/170
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/675 the user being required to insert a coded card, e.g. a smart card carrying an integrated circuit chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In a method of releasing communication between at least two communication devices (4, 5, 6, 7, 8), a data carrier (36), that is able to be read from in a non-contacting manner and that contains an authorization code (AUC), is brought into the vicinity of communication devices (4, 5, 8) that are to be released, and the authorization code (AUC) is read out in a non-contacting manner by a reading device (21, 22, 25) contained in the relevant communication device (4, 5, 8) and is fed by the reading device (21, 22, 25) to a releasing device (40, 41, 44) that, after analyzing the authorization code (AUC), is responsible for releasing communication between the communication devices (4, 5, 8) to be released.

Claims

1. A method of releasing communication between at least two communication devices that are arranged to communicate with one another, wherein a data carrier that is able to be read from in a non-contacting manner and that contains an authorization code is brought into the vicinity of at least two such communication devices and in this way the data carrier that is brought into the vicinity of a given communication device is brought into non-contacting read connection with a reading device that is connected to the given communication device and can be read in a non-contacting manner, wherein the authorization code is read out by each reading device from the data carrier that is in non-contacting read connection with the reading device, wherein a check is performed on the authorization code read out, and wherein the communication devices by whose reading devices the authorization code was read out from the data carrier are released for communication with one another once the authorization code has been read out from the data carrier, the authorization code read out has been checked and a positive result has been received for the check.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication devices are brought into an area that allows direct communication between the communication devices, thus enabling communication to take place between the communication devices directly, and wherein a single data carrier is used to release all the communication devices that are to be released for communication with one another, which data carrier is brought, in succession, into non-contacting read connection with each of the reading devices of the communication devices that are to be released for communication with one another.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication devices to be released for communication with one another are divided up into a plurality of areas that do not allow direct communication between the communication devices, which means that communication between the communication devices is possible only indirectly via a first transmission channel wherein each communication device to be released for communication is associated with a separate data carrier and wherein the authorization code is transmitted to each separate data carrier.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transmission of the authorization code to the separate data carriers is performed over a second transmission channel different than the first transmission channel.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein data carriers each housed in a mobile telephone are used as the separate data carriers.

6. A communication device that is arranged and intended to communicate with another communication device arranged to be suitable for this purpose and that has a reading device able to read in a non-contacting manner from a data carrier that is able to be read from in a non-contacting manner and that contains an authorization code that can be brought into non-contacting read connection of at least the two such communication devices when brought into the vicinity of each of the communication devices, by which reading device the authorization code contained in the data carrier can be read out, which communication device has a releasing device that cooperates with the reading device and that is arranged and intended to release the communication device for communication with another communication device once the authorization code has been read out by the reading device, and the authorization code has been checked and the result of the check is positive.

7. A method of releasing for communication selected of a plurality of communication devices, the method employing at least one data carrier that is readable in a non-contacting manner and that contains an authorization code associated with releasing communication, the method comprising:

establishing connection between a data carrier and at least one communication device for the purpose of non-contacting read of the data carrier by the at least one communication device;

reading the authorization code from the data carrier in a non-contacting manner by the at least one communication device when the data carrier is brought within the vicinity of the communication device; and

checking the authorization code and when a positive result is received for the check, releasing for communication the at least one communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein establishing connection comprises providing a selected vicinity between the data carrier and the at least one communication device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a selected vicinity comprises providing a vicinity of sufficient physical proximity so as to support reading the data carrier via inductive coupling.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein reading the authorization code comprises using a reading device associated with the at least one communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing connection comprises establishing connection between the reading device and the data carrier.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the reading device is integral with the at least one communication device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the reading device is provided in a second device physically separate from the at least one communication device.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein reading the authorization code comprises reading via inductive coupling.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising, responsive to processing the authorization code, determining whether to release for communication the at least one communication device.

16. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

establishing connection between a data carrier and at least another communication device for the purpose of non-contacting read of the data carrier by the at least another communication device;

reading the authorization code from the data carrier in a non-contacting manner by the at least another communication device; and

processing the authorization code, in connection with releasing for communication the at least another communication device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein establishing connections comprise using a single data carrier as to both the at least one communication device and the at least another communication device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of processing the authorization codes comprises exchanging in at least one of the following manners:

(i) transferring the authorization code read by the at least one communication device to the at least another communication device;

(ii) transferring the authorization code read by the at least another communication device to the at least one communication device; and

(iii) mutually transferring the respective authorization code read by the at least one communication device and the at least another communication device from each to the other.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, responsive as to at least one of processing authorization codes, determining whether to release from communication with one another at least one of the at least one communication device and the at least another communication device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein establishing connections comprise using plural data carriers, such data carriers being in one-to-one association with the at least one communication device and the at least another communication device, and further comprising a transmission channel by which each of the plural data carriers receives its authorization code associated with releasing for communication with one another the at least one communication device and the at least another communication device.