System and method for facilitating short-range wireless communications between a mobile wireless device and an auxiliary system

• US 9,131,336 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Zinn, Ronald Scotte, Wilson, Sean Elliott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US14/334,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20140370813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/68, 455/69, 455572-574, 455418-420, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/10.33, 340/10.34, 340/13.24, 340/13.25, 340/13.26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for facilitating short-range wireless communications between a mobile wireless device and an auxiliary device. The wireless device includes a short-range transceiver for communicating with an auxiliary device; a signal module for providing a mode control signal; and, a control module for controllably shifting a short-range transceiver between a power saver mode and a search mode based on the mode control signal received from the signal module. When in the search mode, the short-range transceiver is operable to search for the auxiliary device to communicate therewith. When in a power saver mode, the short-range transceiver is not operable to search for the auxiliary device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling short-range wireless communication using a short-range transceiver between a wireless device and a second device, the method comprising:

providing at least one proximate device indicator near the second device;

configuring the at least one proximate device indicator to have an at least one proximate device indicator configuration;

determining the configuration of the proximate device indicator when the proximate device indicator is in close proximity to the wireless device; and

selecting an associated communication profile for the wireless device based on the proximate device indictor configuration.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising storing in a storage module of the wireless device at least one communication profile associated with the at least one proximate device indicator configuration.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising shifting the short-range transceiver from a second mode to a search mode after having selected the communication profile.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the short-range transceiver is configured to remain inactive when in the second mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator configuration is based on the number of proximate device indicators.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator configuration is based on the position of the at least one proximate device indicator relative to the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator configuration is based on the positioning of the at least one proximate device indicator relative to at least one other proximate device indicator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator comprises at least one magnet, and the detector is operable to detect the at least one magnet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator comprises a cradle attachable to the short-range transceiver.

10. A wireless system comprising:

a short-range transceiver in a wireless device for communicating with a second device;

at least one proximate device indicator near the second device, the at least one proximate device indicator having an at least one proximate device indicator configuration;

a detector in the wireless device for determining the configuration of the at least one proximate device indicator when the at least one proximate device indicator is in close proximity to the wireless device; and

a control module operable to select a communication profile for the wireless device based on the proximate device indicator.

11. The wireless system as defined in claim 10 further comprising a storage module in the wireless device for storing at least one communication profile associated with the at least one proximate device indicator configuration.

12. The wireless system as defined in claim 10 wherein, the control module is operable to controllably shift the short-range transceiver from a second mode to a search mode after having selected the communication profile.

13. The wireless system as defined in claim 12 wherein the short-range transceiver is configured to remain inactive when in the second mode.

14. The wireless system of claim 10, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator configuration is based on the number of proximate device indicators.

15. The wireless system of claim 10, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator configuration is based on the position of the at least one proximate device indicator relative to the second device.

16. The wireless system of claim 10, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator configuration is based on the positioning of the at least one proximate device indicator relative to at least one other proximate device indicator.

17. The wireless system of claim 10, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator comprises at least one magnet, and the detector is operable to detect the at least one magnet.

18. The wireless system of claim 10, wherein the at least one proximate device indicator comprises a cradle attachable to the short-range transceiver.