Magnetic battery saver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9451390-B2
Application number	US-201314360753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2013
Priority date	Jun 24, 2013
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

The invention is directed to systems, methods and computer program products for activating a mobile device application. An exemplary method comprises: storing a threshold change; determining a change in magnetic field using a compass located in a mobile device; comparing the change in magnetic field to the threshold change; determining whether the change in magnetic field is greater than or equal to the threshold change; and in response to determining the change in magnetic field is greater than or equal to the threshold change, activating a mobile device application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for activating a Near Field Communication (NFC) application on a mobile device, the method comprising:
providing for the mobile device having a processor and a compass in communication with the processor;
storing, in a memory component, a magnetic field threshold change;
determining a change in magnetic field using the compass;
comparing, by the processor, the change in magnetic field to the magnetic field threshold change;
determining, by the processor, that the change in magnetic field is greater than or equal to the magnetic field threshold change;
in response to determining that the change in magnetic field is greater than or equal to the magnetic field threshold change, activating, by the processor, the NFC application for a predetermined period of time; and
deactivating, by the processor, the NFC application after the predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compass is located in a NFC tag or chip.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compass is located in the mobile device but not in an NFC tag or chip.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compass comprises at least two compasses.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the NFC application for a predetermined period of time reduces a charge associated with a power source located in the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a portable mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compass comprises at least two compasses, and wherein the change in magnetic field comprises an average change in magnetic field detected by the at least two compasses.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in magnetic field is triggered by bringing the mobile device in close proximity to an external magnet.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the external magnet is associated with a point-of-sale terminal.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the external magnet is associated with a readable indicia terminal.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein deactivating the NFC application after the predetermined period is based on the magnetic field detected by the compass at the end of the predetermined period being less than the magnetic field threshold change.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising overriding the deactivation and continuing to activate, by the processor, the NFC application after the predetermined period based on the magnetic field detected by the compass at the end of the predetermined period being greater than or equal to the magnetic field threshold change.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the change in magnetic field comprises determining an amount of displacement of a magnetic pointer associated with the compass.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating presentation of a graphical user interface on a display of the mobile device upon activation of the NFC application.

15. An apparatus for activating a Near Field Communication (NFC) application on a wireless device, the apparatus comprising:
a memory;
a compass
a processor in communication with the memory and the compass; and
a module stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to:
store, in the memory a magnetic field threshold change,
determine a change in magnetic field using the compass,
compare the change in magnetic field to the magnetic field threshold change,
determine that the change in magnetic field is greater than or equal to the magnetic field threshold change,
in response to determining that the change in magnetic field is greater than or equal to the magnetic field threshold change, activate the NFC application for a predetermined period of time, and
deactivate the NFC application after the predetermined period of time.

16. A computer program product for activating a Near Field Communication (NFC) application on a mobile terminal, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of codes for causing a computer to:
store a magnetic field threshold change,
determine a change in magnetic field using the compass located in a mobile device;
compare the change in magnetic field to the magnetic field threshold change;
determine that the change in magnetic field is greater than or equal to the magnetic field threshold change;
in response to determining that the change in magnetic field is greater than or equal to the magnetic field threshold change, activate the NFC application for a predetermined period of time; and
deactivate the NFC application after the predetermined period of time.

Assignees

• Sony Corp
• Sony Mobile Communications Inc

Inventors

• Bergh Jonas

Classifications

• G01C17/02

  Magnetic compasses · CPC title

• H04M2250/04

  including near field communication means, e.g. RFID · CPC title

• G01C17/28

  Electromagnetic compasses (with north seeking magnetic elements and having electric pick-offs G01C17/26) · CPC title

• H04M1/7253

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/008 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic