Mobile devices with RFID capabilities and corresponding memory write methods
View Patent ↗An electronic device ( 100 ) includes a control circuit ( 108 ) that is operable with a memory or storage device ( 120 ). The electronic device includes an RFID tag ( 113 ) having a second memory ( 118 ). The RFID tag can be read from, or written to, by a RFID communication device ( 114 ) when the electronic device is OFF. Device personalization can be achieved when the control circuit accesses the second memory to retrieve the device configuration data during a boot sequence and configures the electronic device in accordance with the device configuration data retrieved from the second memory during the boot sequence. Device information can be made available when the electronic device is OFF by writing the device information to the second memory.
1. An electronic device, comprising:
a first memory;
a control circuit to execute operating instructions for the electronic device retrieved from the first memory;
an RFID tag embedded in the electronic device and comprising a second memory to store data readable from an RFID communication interface when the electronic device is OFF; and
a communication bus coupling the control circuit and the second memory, the control circuit to write device information to the second memory in response to a trigger.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , the trigger comprising a detected operating malfunction.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more device sensors operable with the control circuit, the trigger comprising the one or more device sensors detecting a condition exceeding a predefined device sensor threshold.
4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more device sensors comprise a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a pressure sensor, or combinations thereof.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 , the operating instructions to cause the control circuit to write the device information to the second memory in response to an interrupt.
6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the interrupt comprises a device sensor output responsive to a device condition.
7. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the interrupt comprises user input.
8. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the interrupt comprises an interrupt signal received from the communication bus in response to a query received from the RFID communication interface.
9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the device information comprises one or more of a user name, a user wallpaper preference, a user ringtone preference, a user home screen arrangement preference, a device name, a device model number, a device manufacturing date, a software version number, a hardware version number, a device serial number, a device purchase date, a device purchase place, a warranty expiration date, a hardware failure code, a hardware time of failure, a software crash code, or combinations thereof.
10. The electronic device of claim 1 , the control circuit to assign an access the device information prior to writing the device information to the second memory.
11. The electronic device of claim 1 , the second memory being partitioned into sections requiring different credentials for access thereto, the control circuit to select one of the sections prior to writing the device information to the second memory.
12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the device information comprises emergency information associated with a device user.
13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the device information comprises barcode information.
14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the device information comprises service information.
15. A method of making device information available from an electronic device when the electronic device is OFF, comprising:
detecting the device information with a control circuit operable with a first memory; and
writing the device information to a second memory of an RFID tag embedded within the electronic device and operable with an RFID communication interface, the second memory readable through the RFID communication interface when the electronic device is OFF.
16. The method of claim 15 , the detecting comprising detecting an occurrence of a predefined operating condition.
17. The method of claim 15 , the device information being detected from user input.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising reading the device information with an RFID communication device.
19. The method of claim 18 , the reading occurring while the electronic device is disposed within packaging.
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising writing the device information to a second electronic device with the RFID communication device.