Method and apparatus for operating near field communication function in a portable terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10200090-B2
Application number	US-201414155761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2014
Priority date	Jan 15, 2013
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A method of operating a Near Field Communication (NFC) function in a portable terminal is provided. The method includes detecting an NFC tag during execution of a particular mode, comparing the NFC tag with preset lists, omitting a reading operation of the NFC tag if the NFC tag is an NFC tag which is included in a blocking list, and reading the NFC tag if the NFC tag is an NFC tag which is included in an application mapping list.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a near field communication (NFC) function in a portable terminal including a NFC module, a storage unit, and a processor, the method comprising:
detecting, by the processor, an NFC tag during execution of a particular mode;
if the particular mode corresponds to an idle mode or a normal application mode, comparing, by the processor, the NFC tag with a blocking list and an application mapping list;
if the NFC tag is an NFC tag which is included in the blocking list, omitting, by the processor, a reading operation of the NFC tag;
if the NFC tag is an NFC tag which is included in the application mapping list, performing, by the processor, a reading operation of the NFC tag;
if the NFC tag is not included in the blocking list and in the application mapping list, outputting, by the processor, a setting interface including an application list;
in response to an input that designates an NFC application selected in the application list as a basic application, matching, by the processor, the NFC tag to the selected NFC application; and
if the particular mode corresponds to an NFC application mode, performing, by the processor, a reading operation of the NFC tag without the comparing the NFC tag with the blocking list and the application mapping list,
wherein the setting interface is divided into a list area in which the application list of NFC application for operating the NFC function is provided, and a blocking area in which a blocking item for promptly registering the NFC tag in the blocking list is provided.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing of the reading operation of the NFC tag comprises:
determining an NFC application matched to the NFC tag through the application mapping list;
executing the NFC application; and
performing the reading operation of the NFC tag through the NFC application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the omitting of the reading operation for the NFC tag comprises blocking execution of the NFC application for performing the reading operation of the NFC tag.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting interface includes a blocking item for registering NFC applications for NFC application selection in the application list and in the blocking list.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
registering the matching result in the application mapping list.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the registering comprises:
outputting an NFC matching interface that determines whether the selected NFC application is to be matched to the NFC tag when the NFC application is selected;
performing a reading operation of the NFC tag by executing the selected NFC application after registering the matching result when it is determined that the selected NFC application is to be matched to the NFC tag; and
performing a reading operation of the NFC tag by executing the selected NFC application without registering the matching result when it is determined that the selected application is not to be matched to the NFC tag.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
registering the NFC tag in the blocking list when the blocking item is selected in the setting interface.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein, if the NFC tag is detected in the NFC application mode, an NFC application currently being executed performs the reading operation of the NFC tag.

9. A method of operating a near field communication (NFC) function in a portable terminal including a NFC module, a storage unit, and a processor, the method comprising:
detecting, by the processor, an NFC tag during an execution of a particular mode;
reading, by the processor, the NFC tag through an NFC application currently being executed if the particular mode corresponds to an NFC application mode;
when the particular mode does not correspond to the NFC application mode, checking, by the processor, the NFC tag if the particular mode corresponds to an idle mode or is a normal application mode;
determining, by the processor, whether the NFC tag is an NFC tag of an allowed object or is an NFC tag of a blocked object;
reading, by the processor, the NFC tag by executing an NFC application which is matched to the NFC tag if the NFC tag is the NFC tag of the allowed object;
maintaining, by the processor, the particular mode without executing the NFC application if the NFC tag is the NFC tag of the blocked object;
if the NFC tag is not the NFC tag of the allowed object and the NFC tag of the blocked object, outputting, by the processor, a setting interface including an application list; and
in response to an input that designates an NFC application selected in the application list as a basic application, matching, by the processor, the NFC tag to the selected NFC application,
wherein the setting interface is divided into a list area in which the application list of NFC application for operating the NFC function is provided, and a blocking area in which a blocking item for promptly registering the NFC tag in a blocking list is provided.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
blocking execution of an NFC application for reading the NFC tag when the NFC tag is included in the blocking list.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the reading of the NFC tag comprises:
searching for an NFC application which is matched to the NFC tag in the application mapping list, executing the searched NFC application, and reading the NFC tag if the NFC tag is included in the application mapping list.

12. A portable terminal comprising:
a near field communication (NFC) module configured to sense an approach of an NFC tag and to read information stored in the NFC tag;
a storage unit configured to store a plurality of NFC applications, a blocking list, and an application mapping list; and
a processor configured to:
detect execution of a particular mode,
if the particular mode corresponds to an NFC application mode, read the NFC tag through an NFC application currently being executed,
if the particular mode corresponds to an idle mode or a normal application mode, compare the NFC tag with the blocking list and with the application mapping list,
omit a reading operation of the NFC tag if the NFC tag is included in the blocking list,
read the NFC tag by executing the NFC application matched to the NFC tag if the NFC tag is included in the application mapping list,
if the NFC tag is not included in the blocking list and in the application mapping list, output a setting interface including an application list, and
in response to an input that designates an NFC application selected in the application list as a basic application, match the NFC tag to the selected NFC application,

wherein the setting interface is divided into a list area in which the application list of NFC application for operating a NFC function is provided, and a blocking area in which a blocking item for promptly registering the NFC tag in the blocking list is provided.

13. The portable terminal of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
register a matching result in the application mapping list, and
register the NFC tag in the blocking list if the blocking item is selected through the setting interface.

14. The portable terminal of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether a selected NFC application is to be matched to the NFC tag if the NFC application is selected,
match the NFC tag to the NFC application,
register the matching result in the application mapping list, if it is determined that the selected NFC application is to be matched to the NFC tag, and
execute the

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Taeho

Classifications

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W48/02

  Access restriction performed under specific conditions · CPC title

• H04B5/0062 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06K17/00

  Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations · CPC title

• H04B1/40 Primary

  Circuits · CPC title