Methods and apparatus for improving peer communications using an active communication mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9113373-B2
Application number	US-201213486741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2012
Priority date	Apr 10, 2012
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

Aspects disclosed herein relate to enabling specification of different bit rates in each direction for NFC peer communications. In one example, a target NFC device may be configured to receive a parameter selection request including a first bit rate value to be used for transmissions from an initiator NFC device to the target NFC device and a second bit rate value to be used in the other direction, and to function in either a first or a second target sub-state based on the first bit rate value. In another example, an initiator NFC device may be configured to determine a first bit rate value to be used for transmissions from an initiator NFC device to a target NFC device and a second bit rate value to be used in the other direction, and to transmit the first and second bit rate values in a parameter selection request message.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of wireless communications, comprising:
receiving, by a target near field communication (NFC) device, a parameter selection request including a first bit rate value to be used for transmissions from an initiator NFC device to the target NFC device and a second bit rate value to be used for transmissions from the target NFC device to the initiator NFC device; and
selecting one of a first target sub-state or a second target sub-state based on the first bit rate value, wherein the first target sub-state is associated with peer communications based on a first NFC radio frequency (RF) technology, and wherein the second target sub-state is associated with peer communications based on a second NFC RF technology; and
functioning in the selected one of the first target sub-state or the second target sub-state.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a parameter selection response to the initiator NFC device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first bit rate value and the second bit rate value each include a bit rate value from among: a value indicating maintenance of a currently set bit rate, a value indicating 106 kbps, a value indicating 212 kbps, or a value indicating 424 kbps.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first target sub-state and the second target sub-state are each a sub-state from among: a TARGET_A sub-state or a TARGET_F sub-state, wherein the TARGET_A sub-state is associated with peer communications based on a NFC-A RF technology, and wherein the TARGET_F sub-state is associated with peer communications based on a NFC-F RF technology.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first bit rate value is a data rate send by the initiator (DSI) value, and wherein the second bit rate value is a data rate receive to initiator (DRI) value.

6. A method of wireless communications, comprising:
determining, by an initiator NFC device, based at least in part on a previously operable NFC radio frequency (RF) technology of the initiator NFC device, a first bit rate value to be used for transmissions from the initiator NFC device to a target NFC device and a second bit rate value to be used for transmissions from the target NFC device to the initiator NFC device,
wherein the previously operable NFC RF technology of the initiator NFC device is one of a NFC-A RF technology and a NFC-F RF technology;
transmitting the first bit rate value and the second bit rate value to the target NFC device in a parameter selection request message;
communicating, from the initiator NFC device to the target NFC device, at the first bit rate value, according to one of the NFC-A RF technology and the NFC-F RF technology selected by the target NFC device.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving a parameter selection response from the target NFC device indicating successful reception of the parameter selection request message.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
generating a first output parameter indicating a current bit rate for transmissions from the initiator NFC device to the target NFC device as the first bit rate value and a second output parameter indicating a current bit rate for transmissions from the target NFC device to the initiator NFC device as the second bit rate value; and
providing the first and second output parameters for use in a resolution process.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first bit rate value and the second bit rate value each include a bit rate value from among: a value indicating maintenance of a currently set bit rate, a value indicating 106 kbps, a value indicating 212 kbps, or a value indicating 424 kbps.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first bit rate value is a data rate send by the initiator (DSI) value, and wherein the second bit rate value is a data rate receive to initiator (DRI) value.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code, comprising code for:
receiving, by a target near field communication (NFC) device, a parameter selection request including a first bit rate value to be used for transmissions from an initiator NFC device to the target NFC device and a second bit rate value to be used for transmissions from the target NFC device to the initiator NFC device; and
selecting one of a first target sub-state or a second target sub-state based on the first bit rate value, wherein the first target sub-state is associated with peer communications based on a first NFC radio frequency (RF) technology, and wherein the second target sub-state is associated with peer communications based on a second NFC RF technology; and
functioning in the selected one of the first target sub-state or the second target sub-state.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising code for:
transmitting a parameter selection response to the initiator NFC device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the first bit rate value and the second bit rate value each include a bit rate value from among: a value indicating maintenance of a currently set bit rate, a value indicating 106 kbps, a value indicating 212 kbps, or a value indicating 424 kbps.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the first target sub-state and the second target sub-state are each a sub-state from among: a TARGET_A sub-state or a TARGET_F sub-state, wherein the TARGET_A sub-state is associated with peer communications based on a NFC-A RF technology, and wherein the TARGET_F sub-state is associated with peer communications based on a NFC-F RF technology.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the first bit rate value is a data rate send by the initiator (DSI) value, and wherein the second bit rate value is a data rate receive to initiator (DRI) value.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code, comprising code for:
determining, by an initiator NFC device, based at least in part on a previously operable NFC radio frequency (RF) technology of the initiator NFC device, a first bit rate value to be used for transmissions from the initiator NFC device to a target NFC device and a second bit rate value to be used for transmissions from the target NFC device to the initiator NFC device, wherein the previously operable NFC RF technology is one of a NFC-A RF technology and a NFC-F RF technology;
transmitting the first bit rate value and the second bit rate value to the target NFC device in a parameter selection request message; and
communicating, from the initiator NFC device to the target NFC device, at the first bit rate value, according to one of the NFC-A RF technology and the NFC-F RF technology selected by the target NFC device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising code for:
receiving a parameter selection response from the target NFC device indicating successful reception of the parameter selection request message.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising code for:
generating a first output parameter indicating a current bit rate for transmissions from the initiator NFC device to the target NFC device as the first bit rate value and a second output parameter indicating a current bit rate for transmissions from the target NFC device to the initiator NFC device as the second bit rate value; and
providing the first and second output parameters for use in a resolution process.

19. The non-transitory computer-r

Assignees

• Hillan John
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Hillan John

Classifications

• H04W28/22 Primary

  Negotiating communication rate · CPC title

• H04W28/18

  Negotiating wireless communication parameters · CPC title

• H04W4/80

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

• H04W76/14 Primary

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title