Near-field communication (NFC) system providing low power mode frequency cycling and related methods

A near-field communication (NFC) device comprising:

• a housing;
• a power source carried by said housing;
• at least one input device carried by said housing and assigned to a designated device function;
• an NFC circuit configured to wirelessly communicate using an NFC communications protocol;
• and
• a processor carried by said housing and coupled to said power source, said at least one input device and said NFC circuit, the processor being configured to
• initiate the designated device function based upon a first input pattern of said at least one input device,
• switch said NFC circuit between a higher power state and a lower power state at a first frequency, said NFC circuit in the higher power state being configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) field to initiate NFC communications with another NFC device,
• switch said NFC circuit between the higher power state and the lower power state at a second frequency different than the first frequency based upon a second input pattern of said at least one input device different from the first input pattern, and
• lessen a security requirement for authorizing and communicating with another NFC device based upon the second manipulation pattern of said at least one input key.

A near-field communication (NFC) method for an NFC device comprising a housing, a power source carried by the housing, at least one input device carried by the housing and assigned to a designated device function, and an NFC circuit configured to wirelessly communicate using an NFC communications protocol, the method comprising:

• initiating the designated device function based upon a first input pattern of the at least one input device;
• switching the NFC circuit between a higher power state and a lower power state at a first frequency, the NFC circuit in the higher power state being configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) field to initiate NFC communications with another NFC device;
• switching the NFC circuit between the higher power state and the lower power state at a second frequency different than the first frequency based upon a second input pattern of the at least one input device different from the first input pattern;
• and
• lessening a security requirement for authorizing and communicating with another NFC device based upon the second manipulation pattern of said at least one input key.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a near-field communication (NFC) NFC device comprising a housing, a power source carried by the housing, at least one input device carried by the housing and assigned to a designated device function, and an NFC circuit configured to wirelessly communicate using an NFC communications protocol, to perform steps comprising:

• initiating the designated device function based upon a first input pattern of the at least one input device;
• switching the NFC circuit between a higher power state and a lower power state at a first frequency, the NFC circuit in the higher power state being configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) field to initiate NFC communications with another NFC device;
• switching the NFC circuit between the higher power state and the lower power state at a second frequency different than the first frequency based upon a second input pattern of the at least one input device different from the first input pattern;
• and
• lessening a security requirement for authorizing and communicating with another NFC device based upon the second manipulation pattern of said at least one input key.