Patent Application
20120133483
The present invention relates to the fields of security, communication, and data processing. More specifically, the present invention is related to an emulated radio frequency data input method.
It wasn't that long ago, even residents in medium size cities still feel secured enough to leave their homes unlocked and/or their garages open. In general, one can access one's place of employment, including parking facilities as well as one's office without identification or access keys.
In the world of commerce, things were also simpler. One typically may shop and consume goods and services, at relatively low prices, without having to be affiliated with any programs or entities.
However, the world has become a lot more complex in recent years. Virtually, all properties of any value, premises, including one's home, have to be secured, even for relatively small towns and cities. One can hardly shop and consume any goods and services, without having signed up with some promotional frequent “usage” programs or becoming affiliated with the commercial entities. The employment of affinity marketing has reached a point even neighboring grocery chains employ them, and not just airlines, hotels, or wholesale discount retailers.
As a result, it is not uncommon to find a person having to carry a number of physical keys and access/identification cards/tags to gain access to secured premises, such as one's home, office, parking garage, and so forth. Additionally, the person is likely to carry a number of remote security control devices, such as a key with remote control for gaining access to his/her vehicle, a garage door opener for gaining access to the person's garage at home, and so forth. The person is also likely to carry a number of affinity identification cards with member identifiers identifying the person as being affiliated with certain co-op or frequent patronage programs, such as wholesale discount retailers, airline or hotel frequent traveler program, and so forth, that entitle the person to certain benefits, such as discounts or rewards.
The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements, and in which:
a-5b illustrate the exploded views of two embodiments of the mobile communication device of
c-5d illustrate an exploded view of another embodiment of the mobile communication device of
a-6h illustrate a number of example screens of an end user interface, suitable for use to practice the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment; and
Embodiments of the present invention includes an emulated RFID method, more specifically, an emulated RFID method, using a mobile communication device, including the device itself, and certain hardware and/or software embodied therein for the practice of the emulated RFID method.
In the following description, various aspects of the illustrative embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, alternate embodiments may be practiced with only some or all aspects of the illustrative embodiments of the present invention. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, alternate embodiments may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the essence of the illustrative embodiments of the present invention.
Parts of the description will be presented in data processing terms, such as data, selection, retrieval, generation, and so forth, consistent with the manner commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. As well understood by those skilled in the art, these quantities take the form of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, and otherwise manipulated through electrical and/or optical components of a processor and its subsystems.
Part of the descriptions will employ various abbreviations, including but are not limited to:
The term “number” as used in this application to describe a data, including both its usage in the specification and the claims, typically refers to numeric data, as the word “number” is conventionally used in mathematics. However, in certain contexts, the “number” may also include alphabet or special characters, as the term is conventionally understood by those skilled in the art in those contexts. For examples, a driver's license number, a passport number, an employee number, or a student ID number, as each of these terms is conventionally used, often includes one or more alphabets or special characters, even though they are referred to as “numbers”. The term accordingly is to be given the meaning that is consistent with the context under which the term is used.
Section headings are merely employed to improve readability, and they are not to be construed to restrict or narrow the present invention.
Various operations will be described as multiple discrete steps in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention, however, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation.
The phrase “in one embodiment” is used repeatedly. The phrase generally does not refer to the same embodiment, however, it may. The terms “comprising”, “having” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise.
Refer now to
As depicted in
In other words, illustrative embodiments of the present invention advantageously leverage on existing elements of mobile communication device 102, and supplement them, to enable mobile communication device 102 to be able to provide a RFID, emulating a RFID transponder, as well as facilitating user communication.
As will be described in more detail below, in preferred embodiments, mobile communication device 102 is equipped to provide RFID, emulating an active and/or a passive RFID transponder.
Further, RFID 110 may be any keys and/or identifiers, including but not limited to security keys, such as garage door “keys”, exterior or interior door keys, or identifiers, such as, employee numbers, driver's license numbers, social security numbers, credit card numbers (optionally, including expiration dates), affinity program member identifiers, and so forth.
Continue to refer to
The term “wireless mobile phone” as used herein, including the specification and the claims, refers to the class of telephony devices equipped to facilitate a user in communicating with another user of another communication device, notwithstanding the user's movement around different geographic areas, so long the wireless mobile phone is in contact with a base/service station of a wireless network service provider. The term includes the analog as well as the digital subclasses. Communication may be voice and/or data, audio, textual and/or visual. The other user/communication device may be mobile or land line based.
RFID reader 120 represents a broad range of such devices known in the art or to be designed. Currently, most RFID readers 120 employ proprietary formats/protocols. That is, RFID readers 120 of different manufacturers tend to employ different frequencies, amplitudes, and/or keying schemes (which may be frequency shifting keying (FSK), amplitude shifting keying (ASK) or phase shifting keying (PSK)).
Various embodiments of the methods of the present inventions, including elements 106, in particular, added elements, will be described in turn below.
Typically, provision of a RFID will include the manner the RFID is to be outputted, i.e. signaled. As alluded to earlier, the manner it is to be signaled is dependent on the format/protocol employed by the intended RFID reader 120. For examples, for a garage door key, the format/protocol employed by RFID reader 120 of the garage opener system, and for an affinity program member identifier, the format/protocol employed by RFID reader 120 of the point-of-sale system of the entity offering the affinity program.
Alternatively, a default signaling format/protocol, such as an industry standard, the most popular proprietary format/protocol, or a selected proprietary format/protocol may be assumed instead, when one is not provided.
During operation, in response to a user instruction, typically after the user has selected the RFID to be outputted from a number of RFIDs stored in device 102, block 203, device 102 outputs the selected RFID as instructed, emulating an active RFID transponder, block 204.
For the embodiment, one RFID, e.g. an access key/identifier (such as an employee number), may also be selected/designated as a default RFID, the output of which may be emulated in a passive manner. That is, the selected/designated default RFID will be outputted automatically, whenever device 102 is within the proximal presence, or more specifically, the operational space, of an intended RFID reader 120.
Accordingly, device 102 monitors for probing signals of an intended RFID reader 120 (or a type of RFID readers 120), to determine whether device 102 is within the operational space of such a RFID reader 120, block 205. On so determining, device 102 outputs the designated RFID automatically, emulating a passive RFID transponder, block 206.
Persistent store 306 and memory 304 are employed to store permanent and working copies of a software implementation of the operating logic 320 of device 102, including the supplemental RFID feature 322. In various embodiments, persistent store 306 may be an EEPROM (or like kind variants, such as a Flash Memory, a Memory Stick), a magnetic or optical disk drive, a CDROM, a DVD drive and so forth. Memory 304 may be any SDRAM, DDRAM or other high speed volatile as way as non-volatile storage devices known in the art.
Processor 302 is employed to execute operating logic 320, including RFID feature 322. As will be readily apparent from the description to follow, operating logic 320 may be implemented in any one of a number of suitable system programming languages, including but not limited to high level languages that may be compiled into executable instructions supported by processor 302. Processor 302 may be any one of a number of processors designed or to be designed for mobile devices.
Except for transceivers 308, RFID feature 322 and the manner the various elements of
As described earlier, processor 302, memory 304, persistent store 306 and bus 312 may be shared elements of device 102, also employed to implement the primary communication function of device 102. However, in alternate embodiments, dedicated elements may be employed for some or all of these elements instead.
In one embodiment, device 102 is a wireless mobile telephone, an exploded view of which is illustrated in
For the embodiment, cover 514 includes embedded electronic components having instructions, data, and/or locations to obtain such instructions and/or data to personalize, customize and/or enhance phone 500. Phone 500 includes complementary electronic component interface 516 in support of such personalization, customization and/or enhancement.
Cover 514 may form a part of housing 512, i.e. a required element to complete phone 500, or it may be an accessory to be adorned by phone 500, i.e. not a required element to complete phone 500.
In another embodiment, device 102 is a PDA, an exploded view of which, is illustrated in
Similarly, for the embodiment, cover 534 includes embedded electronic components having instructions, data, and/or locations to obtain such instructions and/or data to personalize, customize and/or enhance PDA 520. PDA 520 includes complementary electronic component interface 536 in support of such personalization, customization and/or enhancement.
Cover 534 may form a part of housing 532, i.e. a required element to complete PDA 520, or it may be an accessory to be adorned by PDA 520, i.e. not a required element to complete PDA 520.
c-5d illustrate yet another embodiment of device 102, another wireless mobile telephone, an exploded view of which is illustrated. Wireless mobile phone 540 is similarly constituted as the earlier described embodiments, including body 542 and cover 544. However, body 542 has a substantially boomerang or banana shape. Body 542 is also typically palm-sized or smaller.
For the embodiment, cover 544 also includes embedded electronic components having instructions, data, and/or locations to obtain such instructions and/or data to personalize, customize and/or enhance phone 540. Phone 540 includes complementary electronic component interface (not shown) in support of such personalization, customization and/or enhancement.
Cover 544 may form a part of housing 542, i.e. a required element to complete phone 540, or it may be an accessory to be adorned by phone 540, i.e. not a required element to complete phone 540.
In all or selected one(s) of these embodiments, some or all elements 106 in support of the RFID feature of the present invention may be provided through embedded electronic components of the housing/accessory covers.
Smart covers are the subject matters of subject matter of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/087,098, filed Mar. 1, 2002, entitled “Personalizing Electronic Devices and Smart Covering”, and U.S. Application, number <insert>, filed May 2, 2003, entitled “Personalization of Mobile Electronic Devices and Smart Accessory Cover”, which specifications are hereby fully incorporated by reference.
While all three embodiments of
For the embodiment, joint RF TX/RX 402 includes in particular, switch 420, filters 412 and 422, low noise amplifier 424 and power amplifier 414, coupled to one another as shown. Switch 420 is employed to switch between transmitting and receiving RF signals. Filters 412 and 422, low noise amplifier 424 and power amplifier 414 are employed to perform their conventional filtering and amplification functions on the transmit and receive signals.
For transmission, switch 404 switches between the output of high frequency signal processing 410 and the output of low frequency signal processing 408 to the transmit path of Joint RF TX/RX 402.
For reception, splitter 406 splits the output of the receive path of Joint RF TX/RX 402 and provides the receive signal to high frequency signal processing 410 as well as low frequency signal processing 408.
For the embodiment, high frequency signal processing 410 performs up and down conversions of the transmit and receive signals of the primary communication function of mobile communication device 102, e.g. the transmit and receive signals of a voice call. In one embodiment, the transmit and receive signals are transmitted and received in the GHz ranges.
Low frequency signal processing 408, on the other hand, performs up and down conversions of the transmit and receive signals of the RFID feature, e.g. the output signal of a RFID to emulate either an active or a passive transponder, and the received probing signal of a RFID reader. In one embodiment, the transmit and receive signals are transmitted and received in the MHz ranges.
Up and down conversions, filtering, amplifications, and so forth, in and of themselves, except for the manner they are being used to provide RFIDs using a mobile communication device, are known in the art, accordingly, will not be further described.
As illustrated in
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Screen 612 also includes selectable “option” button 616, with which a user may interact to display a list of RFID management options, using e.g. control keys 504.
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Each RFID reader type is assumed to have a deterministic RFID signaling format/protocol. Accordingly, by selecting the RFID reader type, the user is effectively selecting or specifying the RFID signaling format/protocol. In alternate embodiment, a user may be requested to select the RFID signaling format/protocol explicitly, as opposed to implicitly, in the illustrated embodiment.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Operationally, as illustrated in
On receipt of a user input/request, support logic 322 determines the nature of the input/request, block 706, taking into the context, i.e. the portion of the user interface being displayed, and with which the user just interacted in submitting the input/request.
As illustrated, on determining that the user has requested a current display list to be scrolled (e.g. RFID list 614 of screen 612), support logic 322 causes the list to be scrolled as requested. Thereafter, support logic 322 returns to block 708 and waits for further input.
Similarly, on determining that the user has requested a selected RFID to be sent (emulating output of the RFID by an active RFID transponder), support logic 322 causes the RFID to be outputted in a form of an appropriate RF signal (in accordance with the associated intended RFID reader type). Thereafter, support logic 322 again returns to block 710 and waits for further input.
On determining that the user has requested a list of options to be displayed (e.g. selection of “option” 616 of screen 612), support logic 322 causes the list of options to be displayed as requested. Thereafter, support logic 322 returns to block 712 and waits for further input.
On determining that the user has requested to add a RFID (e.g. selection of “Add” of screen 622), support logic 322 facilitates addition of a RFID (e.g. successively guiding user entry of a RFID using screens 632-662. Thereafter, support logic 322 returns to block 714 and waits for further input.
These are a few examples of user inputs/requests support logic 322 may support. The present invention contemplates other user inputs/requests may also be supported, and handled accordingly, block 716.
Thus, it can be seen from the above descriptions, a novel emulated RFID input method, using a mobile communication device, has been described. The present invention advantageously improved the ease of use for a user to provide data captured in a device to another system, especially for data captured in e.g. a mobile device.
While the present invention has been described in terms of the earlier described embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described. The present invention can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive on the present invention.
This application is a non-provisional application of provisional application No. 60/478,245, titled “Radio Frequency Identification Using Mobile Communication Device”, filed on Jun. 13, 2003, and claims priority to said provisional application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60478245 | Jun 2003 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10560262 | Dec 2005 | US |
| Child | 13363202 | US |
