Smartphone proximity card emulation

• US 9,444,925 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: McKelvey, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Junpeng
• Application Number:
  US13/918,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20140302788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0727 the arrangement being a circuit facilitating integration of the record carrier with a hand-held device such as a smart phone of PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00032 characterised by data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided that enable a portable computing device to emulate a proximity card. A portable computing device is provided that includes an antenna, storage that stores an identification number, and a processor. The processor is configured to control modulation of the identification number onto a carrier signal received by the antenna from a proximity card reader device. In this manner, an applicable function may be enabled, and the portable computing device emulates a proximity card. The antenna may be specific to proximity card emulation, or may be shared with other portable computing device functions, such as wireless charging.

Claims

1. A portable computing device, comprising:

an antenna;

storage that stores an identification number;

a processor configured to control modulation of the identification number onto a carrier signal received by the antenna from a proximity card reader device to enable the portable computing device to emulate a proximity card; and

a carrier detection module configured to;

determine that a received signal is a wireless signal transmitted by a wireless charger in response to a determination that the received signal has a measured amplitude greater than a predetermined threshold value; and

determine that the received signal is the carrier signal in response to a determination that the received signal has a measured amplitude that is less than the predetermined threshold value.

2. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device is a smartphone.

3. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device is configured to emulate a proximity card by responding to a proximity card reader device in a first mode, and to receive a wireless charging signal from a battery charger to charge a rechargeable battery in a second mode.

4. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein

the carrier detection module provides an indication of the carrier signal to the processor when the wireless signal is determined to be transmitted by the proximity card reader device.

5. The portable computing device of claim 4, wherein the carrier detection module is configured to determine that the received signal is the wireless signal if the received signal includes a wireless power transfer communication.

6. The portable computing device of claim 4, wherein the processor receives the carrier signal indication on a general purpose input-output port.

7. The portable computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a modulation circuit coupled between the processor and the antenna;

the processor configured to retrieve the identification number from the storage and to provide the identification number to the modulation circuit according to a predetermined timing; and

the modulation circuit configured to modulate the identification number onto the carrier signal at the antenna according to the predetermined timing.

8. The portable computing device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined timing is configured to synchronize bits of the identification number with a frequency of the carrier signal.

9. The portable computing device of claim 7, wherein the processor transmits the identification number to the modulation circuit from a serial port.

10. The portable computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless charging controller coupled to the antenna to enable a rechargeable battery of the portable computing device to be wirelessly charged by a wireless charging signal received by the antenna;

the processor configured to disable wireless charging of the rechargeable battery when the identification number is being modulated onto the carrier signal; and

the processor configured to enable wireless charging of the rechargeable battery when the identification number is not being modulated onto the carrier signal.

11. The portable computing device of claim 10, wherein the processor enables the identification number to be modulated onto the carrier signal for a predetermined time duration, and enables the wireless charging of the rechargeable battery after expiration of the predetermined time duration.

12. A method in a portable computing device, comprising:

determining whether a received wireless signal is transmitted by a wireless charger or is a carrier signal received from a proximity card reader device by;

measuring an amplitude of the wireless signal,

determining the wireless signal to be the carrier signal received from the proximity card reader device and causing the portable computing device to enter a first mode if the measured amplitude is less than the predetermined threshold value, and

determining the wireless signal to be transmitted by the wireless charger and causing the portable computing device to enter a second mode if the measured amplitude is greater than a predetermined threshold value;

in the first mode,

receiving the carrier signal transmitted by the proximity card reader device at an antenna of the portable computing device,

accessing an identification number stored in storage of the portable computing device, and

modulating the identification number onto the carrier signal to enable the portable computing device to emulate a proximity card; and

in the second mode, receiving a wireless charging signal at the antenna from a battery charger to charge a rechargeable battery.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

disabling wireless charging capability associated with the antenna;

performing said modulating of the identification number onto the carrier signal; and

enabling wireless charging capability associated with the antenna.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said modulating the identification number onto a carrier signal comprises:

modulating the identification number onto the carrier signal for a predetermined time duration; and

wherein said enabling wireless charging capability associated with the antenna comprises;

enabling the wireless charging capability after expiration of the predetermined time duration.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether a received wireless signal is transmitted by a wireless charger or is the carrier signal received from the proximity card reader device; and

when the wireless signal is determined to be the carrier signal received from the proximity card reader device,

performing said disabling of wireless charging capability associated with the antenna, and

performing said modulating of the identification number onto the carrier signal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining whether a received wireless signal is transmitted by a wireless charger or is the carrier signal received from the proximity card reader device comprises:

determining whether the wireless signal includes a wireless power transfer communication.

17. A computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored in the computer readable storage medium that enable a processor to perform a method in a portable computing device, the method comprising:

determining whether a received wireless signal is transmitted by a wireless charger or is a carrier signal received from a proximity card reader device by;

measuring an amplitude of the wireless signal,

determining the wireless signal to be the carrier signal received from the proximity card reader device and causing the portable computing device enter a first mode if the measured amplitude is less than the predetermined threshold value, and

determining the wireless signal to be transmitted by the wireless charger and causing the portable computing device to enter a second mode if the measured amplitude is greater than a predetermined threshold value;

in the first mode,

accessing an identification number stored in storage of the portable computing device,

receiving an indication of the carrier signal received at the antenna from the proximity card reader device, and

providing the identification number to a modulation circuit according to predetermined timing to modulate the identification number onto the carrier signal by the antenna to enable the portable computing device to emulate a proximity card; and

in the second mode, receiving a wireless charging signal at the antenna from a battery charger to charge a rechargeable battery of the portable computing device.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein said providing comprises:

repeating providing the identification number to the modulation circuit according to the predetermined timing for a predetermined time duration.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein said determining whether a received wireless signal is transmitted by a wireless charger or is the carrier signal received from the proximity card reader device comprises:

determining whether the wireless signal includes a wireless power transfer communication.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the predetermined timing is configured to synchronize bits of the identification number with a frequency of the carrier signal.