Management of near field communications using low power modes of an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9603090-B2
Application number	US-201314063433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2013
Priority date	Aug 8, 2013
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for managing near field communications during a low power management mode of an electronic device are provided that may make credentials of a near field communication (“NFC”) component appropriately secure and appropriately accessible while also limiting the power consumption of the NFC component and of other components of the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an electronic device comprising:
detecting a low power mode initiation event; and
in response to the detection of the low power mode initiation event:
disabling an element of the electronic device;
while the element is disabled, identifying an authentication initiation event, wherein the identification of the authentication initiation event comprises detecting a near field communication terminal with the electronic device; and
in response to the detection of the near field communication terminal of the identification of the authentication initiation event, providing on an output component of the electronic device an output that requests user interaction for enabling a near field communication component of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output requests the user interaction for enabling the near field communication component by at least one of:
requesting user authorization of the near field communication component; and
requesting user selection of at least one credential provisioned on the near field communication component.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving authentication information on an input component of the electronic device in response to the provided output; and
enabling the near field communication component based on the received authentication information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the element of the electronic device comprises the output component; and
the method further comprises reactivating the output component prior to the output being provided on the output component.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the output component is a display output component.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the output component comprises one of an audio output component and a haptic output component.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the element of the electronic device comprises at least one function of the near field communication component of the electronic device.

8. An electronic device comprising:
a near field communication component;
an output component; and
a processor configured to:
detect a low power mode initiation event;
ensure that at least one function of the near field communication component is disabled in response to the detection of the low power mode initiation event;
identify an authentication initiation event once it is ensured that the at least one function of the near field communication component is disabled, wherein the identification of the authentication initiation event comprises detection of a near field communication terminal with the electronic device; and
in response to the detection of the near field communication terminal of the identification of the authentication initiation event, provide on the output component an output that requests user interaction with the electronic device for enabling the at least one function of the near field communication component.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the detection of the low power mode initiation event comprises one of:
detection of a power level of a power supply of the electronic device below a particular threshold; and
receipt of a user input on an input component of the electronic device.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one function of the near field communication component comprises communication of data from a security domain of the near field communication component to an antenna of the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the output requests the user interaction for the enablement by at least one of:
requesting user authorization of the at least one function of the near field communication component; and
requesting user selection of at least one credential provisioned on the near field communication component.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising an input component, wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive authentication information on the input component in response to the provision of the output that requests the user interaction; and
enable the at least one function of the near field communication component based on the received authentication information.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein:
the processor is configured to enable the at least one function of the near field communication component by powering an antenna of the electronic device; and
the at least one function is communication of a credential from the near field communication component via the antenna.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the input component comprises at least one of a mechanical button, a virtual button, and a biometric authentication component.

15. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to close at least one active application in response to the detection of the low power mode initiation event.

16. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the output component is a display output component.

17. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the output component comprises one of an audio output component and a haptic output component.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions recorded thereon for:
detecting a low power mode initiation event on an electronic device; and
in response to the detection of the low power mode initiation event:
disabling an element of the electronic device;
while the element is disabled, identifying an authentication initiation event on the electronic device, wherein the identification of the authentication initiation event comprises detecting a near field communication terminal with the electronic device; and
in response to the detection of the near field communication terminal of the identification of the authentication initiation event, providing on an output component of the electronic device an output that requests enabling a near field communication component of the electronic device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein:
the element of the electronic device comprises the output component; and
the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises additional computer-readable instructions recorded thereon for reactivating the output component prior to the providing.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the element of the electronic device comprises at least one function of the near field communication component of the electronic device.

21. A method of operating an electronic device comprising:
disabling an output component of the electronic device;
while the output component is disabled, detecting a near field communication terminal with the electronic device with the electronic device; and
in response to the detection of the near field communication terminal, enabling the output component and then providing with the output component an output indicative of a request for user interaction with the electronic device that is operative to enable at least a portion of a proximity-based communication component of the electronic device.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the disablement of the output component reduces power consumption of the electronic device.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the output component comprises a display output component.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the requ

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Khan Ahmer A
• Linde Joakim
• Hakim Joseph
• Rosen Zachary A

Classifications

• G06F1/3278 Primary

  Power saving in modem or I/O interface · CPC title

• H04W52/0254

  detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device · CPC title

• H04W52/0251

  using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity · CPC title

• G06F2221/2137

  Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data · CPC title

• G06F21/606

  by securing the transmission between two devices or processes · CPC title