Reducing NFC peer mode connection times

• US 8,942,623 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hillan, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US13/310,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20130143487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/231, 455/181.1, 455/418, 455/411, 455/434, 340/572.4, 370/346
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer-readable media for reducing Near Field Communication (NFC) Peer Mode connection times are presented. According to one or more aspects, a mode switching interval associated with an NFC device discovery loop may be defined. A first portion of the mode switching interval may be assigned to polling operations. A second portion of the mode switching interval may be assigned to listening operations. The first portion and the second portion of the mode switching interval respectively may occupy less than all of the mode switching interval, and the second portion of the mode switching interval may be shifted in position within the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

defining a mode switching interval associated with a near field communication (NFC) device discovery loop;

assigning a first portion of the mode switching interval to polling operations; and

assigning a second portion of the mode switching interval to listening operations,

wherein the first portion and the second portion of the mode switching interval respectively occupy less than all of the mode switching interval, and

wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is shifted within the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is randomly shifted within the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is modified by one or more algorithms for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the second portion comprises adjusting length of the second portion of the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a set of instructions for operating the NFC device discovery loop to a state machine,

wherein the state machine cycles between the first portion and the second portion of the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop based on the set of instructions.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

locally deactivating NFC device discovery functionality upon providing the set of instructions to the state machine.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an interrupt from the state machine, the interrupt indicative of an NFC connection identified by the state machine; and

processing the NFC connection in response to the interrupt.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating the set of instructions.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

obtaining the set of instructions from an external device.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

define a mode switching interval associated with a near field communication (NFC) device discovery loop;

assign a first portion of the mode switching interval to polling operations; and

assign a second portion of the mode switching interval to listening operations,

wherein the first portion and the second portion of the mode switching interval respectively occupy less than all of the mode switching interval, and

wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is shifted within the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is randomly shifted within the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is modified by one or more algorithms for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein assigning the second portion comprises adjusting length of the second portion of the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

provide a set of instructions for operating the NFC device discovery loop to a state machine,

wherein the state machine cycles between the first portion and the second portion of the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop based on the set of instructions.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

locally deactivate NFC device discovery functionality upon providing the set of instructions to the state machine.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive an interrupt from the state machine, the interrupt indicative of an NFC connection identified by the state machine; and

process the NFC connection in response to the interrupt.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

generate the set of instructions.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

obtain the set of instructions from an external device.

19. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause at least one computing device to:

define a mode switching interval associated with a near field communication (NFC) device discovery loop;

assign a first portion of the mode switching interval to polling operations; and

assign a second portion of the mode switching interval to listening operations,

wherein the first portion and the second portion of the mode switching interval respectively occupy less than all of the mode switching interval, and

wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is shifted within the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is randomly shifted within the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

21. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is modified by one or more algorithms for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

22. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein assigning the second portion comprises adjusting length of the second portion of the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

23. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, having additional computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, further cause the at least one computing device to:

provide a set of instructions for operating the NFC device discovery loop to a state machine,

wherein the state machine cycles between the first portion and the second portion of the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop based on the set of instructions.

24. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, having additional computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, further cause the at least one computing device to:

locally deactivate NFC device discovery functionality upon providing the set of instructions to the state machine.

25. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, having additional computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, further cause the at least one computing device to:

receive an interrupt from the state machine, the interrupt indicative of an NFC connection identified by the state machine; and

process the NFC connection in response to the interrupt.

26. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, having additional computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, further cause the at least one computing device to:

generate the set of instructions.

27. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, having additional computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, further cause the at least one computing device to:

obtain the set of instructions from an external device.

28. A system, comprising:

means for defining a mode switching interval associated with a near field communication (NFC) device discovery loop;

means for assigning a first portion of the mode switching interval to polling operations; and

means for assigning a second portion of the mode switching interval to listening operations,

wherein the first portion and the second portion of the mode switching interval respectively occupy less than all of the mode switching interval, and

wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is shifted within the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is randomly shifted within the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the second portion of the mode switching interval is modified by one or more algorithms for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein assigning the second portion comprises adjusting length of the second portion of the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop.

32. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing a set of instructions for operating the NFC device discovery loop to a state machine,

wherein the state machine cycles between the first portion and the second portion of the mode switching interval for respective iterations of the NFC device discovery loop based on the set of instructions.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for locally deactivating NFC device discovery functionality upon providing the set of instructions to the state machine.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

means for receiving an interrupt from the state machine, the interrupt indicative of an NFC connection identified by the state machine; and

means for processing the NFC connection in response to the interrupt.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for generating the set of instructions.

36. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for obtaining the set of instructions from an external device.