# US 8,787,830 B2 · Near-field communication (NFC) system providing low power mode frequency cycling and related methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,830 B2 - Document ID: US8787830B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/856,783 - Filed: 2010-08-16 - Published: 2012-02-16 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-16 - Assignees: BlackBerry Limited - Applicants: Vahid Moosavi; Scott Douglas Rose - Inventors: Vahid Moosavi; Scott Douglas Rose - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787830B2 ## CPC - H04W 52/0254: {detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device} - H04M 1/72412: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces - H04M 2250/04: including near field communication means, e.g. RFID - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A near-field communication (NFC) system may include a plurality of NFC devices each including 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, an NFC circuit configured to wirelessly communicate using an NFC communications protocol, and a processor. The processor may be configured to initiate the designated device function based upon a first input pattern of the at least one input device, switch 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 an RF field to initiate NFC communications, and switch the NFC circuit between the higher and lower power states at a second frequency based upon a second input pattern of the input device(s) different from the first input pattern. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A near-field communication (NFC) system comprising: a plurality of NFC devices each 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 one of said NFC devices, 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to switch said NFC circuit from the second frequency back to the first frequency based upon a repetition of the second input pattern of said at least one input device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to switch said NFC circuit from the second frequency back to the first frequency after a timeout period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The NFC system of claim 1 wherein the first frequency is lower than the second frequency. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The NFC system of claim 1 further comprising a display carried by said portable housing and coupled to said processor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The NFC system of claim 5 wherein said processor is further configured to generate on said display a menu for enabling initiation of NFC communications with said other NFC device upon detection thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The NFC system of claim 5 wherein said at least one input device comprises a menu key, and wherein the designated device function comprises generating a menu on said display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said at least one input device comprises an accelerometer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said at least one input comprises an audio input transducer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to pass through a Uniform Resource Locator when at the second frequency and being in the higher power state. ### Claim 11 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The NFC device of claim 11 wherein said processor is further configured to switch said NFC circuit from the second frequency back to the first frequency based upon a repetition of the second input pattern of said at least one input device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The NFC device of claim 11 wherein said processor is configured to switch said NFC circuit from the second frequency back to the first frequency after a timeout period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The NFC device of claim 11 wherein the first frequency is lower than the second frequency. ### Claim 15 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. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising switching the NFC circuit from the second frequency back to the first frequency based upon a repetition of the second input pattern of the at least one input device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising switching the NFC circuit from the second frequency back to the first frequency after a timeout period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the first frequency is lower than the second frequency. ### Claim 19 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. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The physical computer-readable medium of claim 19 further having computer-executable instruction for causing the NFC device to perform a step of switching the NFC circuit from the second frequency back to the first frequency based upon a repetition of the second input pattern of the at least one input device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The physical computer-readable medium of claim 19 further having computer-executable instruction for causing the NFC device to perform a step of switching the NFC circuit from the second frequency back to the first frequency after a timeout period. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The physical computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the first frequency is lower than the second frequency.