User equipment detection of interference-sensitive devices

• US 9,900,762 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Cui, Zhi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/724,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for user equipment (“UE”) detection of interference-sensitive devices. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a mobile initiator device can utilize a near-field communications (“NFC”) hardware component to generate a radio frequency (“RF”) field that is used to activate a passive NFC component associated with an interference-sensitive device. The mobile initiator device can utilize the NFC hardware component to receive information about an interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device. The mobile initiator device can adjust one or more operational aspects of the mobile initiator device to accommodate the interference sensitivity information of the interference-sensitive device.

Claims

1. A mobile initiator device comprising:

a near-field communications hardware component;

a processor; and

memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile initiator device to perform operations comprising

monitoring a mobility state of the mobile initiator device,

detecting a change in the mobility state of the mobile initiator device,

in response to detecting the change in the mobility state of the mobile initiator device, generating, by the near-field communications hardware component, a radio frequency field that is used to activate a passive near-field communications component associated with an interference-sensitive device,

receiving, by the near-field communications hardware component, information about an interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device from the interference-sensitive device, wherein the information about the interference sensitivity comprises a filter selectivity, and

adjusting an operational aspect of the mobile initiator device to accommodate the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device.

2. The mobile initiator device of claim 1, wherein the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device further comprises at least one of a device type, a radio type, a receive sensitivity frequency band, a transmit sensitivity frequency band, a receive in-band noise rise limit, a receive in-band receiver overload limit, or a transmit power range.

3. The mobile initiator device of claim 1, wherein adjusting the operational aspect of the mobile initiator device comprises adjusting a transmit power of the mobile initiator device.

4. The mobile initiator device of claim 1, wherein adjusting the operational aspect of the mobile initiator device comprises adjusting a frequency upon which the mobile initiator device transmits.

5. The mobile initiator device of claim 1, wherein adjusting the operational aspect of the mobile initiator device comprises adjusting a duplexing type utilized by the mobile initiator device.

6. The mobile initiator device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to receiving the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device:

generating a confirmation message to confirm receipt of the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device; and

sending the confirmation message to the interference-sensitive device.

7. The mobile initiator device of claim 1, wherein generating the radio frequency field comprises generating the radio frequency field in accordance with a radio frequency field duty cycle associated with the mobility state.

8. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile initiator device, cause the mobile initiator device to perform operations comprising:

monitoring a mobility state of the mobile initiator device;

detecting a change in the mobility state of the mobile initiator device;

in response to detecting the change in the mobility state of the mobile initiator device, generating a radio frequency field that is used to activate a passive near-field communications component associated with an interference-sensitive device;

receiving information about an interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device from the interference-sensitive device, wherein the information about the interference sensitivity comprises a filter selectivity; and

adjusting an operational aspect of the mobile initiator device to accommodate the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device further comprises at least one of a device type, a radio type, a receive sensitivity frequency band, a transmit sensitivity frequency band, a receive in-band noise rise limit, a receive in-band receiver overload limit, or a transmit power range.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the operational aspect of the mobile initiator device comprises adjusting a transmit power of the mobile initiator device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the operational aspect of the mobile initiator device comprises adjusting a frequency upon which the mobile initiator device transmits.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the operational aspect of the mobile initiator device comprises adjusting a duplexing type utilized by the mobile initiator device.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to receiving the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device:

generating a confirmation message to confirm receipt of the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device; and

sending the confirmation message to the interference-sensitive device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein generating the radio frequency field comprises generating the radio frequency field in accordance with a radio frequency field duty cycle associated with the mobility state.

15. An interference-sensitive device comprising:

an interference-sensitive component;

a passive near-field communications component;

a processor; and

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the interference-sensitive device to perform operations comprising

activating the passive near-field communications component in response to a radio frequency field generated by a mobile initiator device, wherein the radio frequency field is generated by the mobile initiator device in response to detecting a change in a mobility state of the mobile initiator device, and

providing information about an interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device to the mobile initiator device, wherein the information about the interference sensitivity comprises a filter selectivity.

16. The interference-sensitive device of claim 15, wherein the interference-sensitive component comprises a medical device or a consumer electronics device.

17. The interference-sensitive device of claim 15, wherein the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device further comprises at least one of a device type, a radio type, a sensitivity frequency band, a receive in-band noise rise limit, a receive in-band receiver overload limit, a transmit frequency band, or a transmit power range.

18. The interference-sensitive device of claim 15, wherein providing the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device comprises providing the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device via a periodic retransmission to the mobile initiator device.

19. The interference-sensitive device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a confirmation message from the mobile initiator device, the confirmation message confirming receipt, by the mobile initiator device, of the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device; and

in response to receiving the confirmation message, ceasing the periodic retransmission of the information about the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device.

20. The interference-sensitive device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise instructing the mobile initiator device to adjust an operational aspect of the mobile initiator device to accommodate the interference sensitivity of the interference-sensitive device.