Alerting a smart card reader of probable wireless communication
View Patent ↗A wireless device may alert a wireless smart card reader that communication of data between the wireless device and the wireless smart card reader is probably imminent by sending an activation alert. Upon receipt of the activation alert, if the wireless smart card reader is in a low-power state, the wireless smart card reader may enter a higher-power state. If the wireless smart card reader is in the higher-power state upon receipt of the activation alert, the wireless smart card reader may remain in the higher-power state until a timeout period has expired. The wireless device may instruct the wireless smart card reader to enter the low-power state by sending a deactivation alert if the wireless device detects that communication of data between the wireless device and the wireless smart card reader is not likely to occur within a specified period of time.
1. A method comprising:
detecting at a first wireless device one or more conditions that increase a likelihood that communication of data between said first wireless device and a second wireless device over a wireless communication link will begin imminently; and
responsive to detecting said one or more conditions, having said first wireless device send an activation alert over said wireless communication link to said second wireless device, said activation alert to prompt said second wireless device, when in a low-power state, to transition from said low-power state to a higher-power state.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein detecting said one or more conditions comprises:
detecting that said first wireless device has been unlocked.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein detecting said one or more conditions comprises:
detecting that said first wireless device has been removed from a carrying case for said first wireless device.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein detecting said one or more conditions comprises:
detecting that composition of an electronic mail message on said first wireless device has started.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein detecting said one or more conditions comprises:
detecting that a password dialog has been presented on a display screen of said first wireless device.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein detecting said one or more conditions comprises:
detecting that entry of a password in a password dialog presented on a display screen of said first wireless device has started.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said first wireless device and said second wireless device are compatible with a wireless personal area network communication protocol.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said one or more conditions involve only said first wireless device and are independent of said second wireless device.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said second wireless device comprises smart card reader functionality.
10. A first wireless device comprising:
a wireless communication interface;
a processor coupled to said wireless communication interface; and
a memory coupled to said processor, said memory to store code which, when executed by said processor, detects at said first wireless device one or more conditions that indicate that communication of data between said first wireless device and a second wireless smart device over a wireless communication link will occur within a specified period of time, and in response to detecting said one or more conditions sends an activation alert to said second wireless device over said wireless communication link via said wireless communication interface, said activation alert to prompt said second wireless device, when in a low-power state, to transition from said low-power state to a higher-power state.
11. The first wireless device as recited in claim 10 , wherein said one or more conditions comprise that said first wireless device has been unlocked.
12. The first wireless device as recited in claim 10 , wherein said one or more conditions comprise that said first wireless device has been removed from a carrying case.
13. The first wireless device as recited in claim 10 , wherein said one or more conditions comprise that composition of an electronic mail message on said first wireless device has started.
14. The first wireless device as recited in claim 10 , further comprising a display screen coupled to said processor, wherein said one or more conditions comprise that a password dialog has been presented on said display screen.
15. The first wireless device as recited in claim 10 , further comprising a display screen coupled to said processor, wherein said one or more conditions comprise that entry of a password in a password dialog presented on said display screen has started.