Near field communication enhanced computing systems
View Patent ↗Technologies are disclosed herein for utilizing near field communication (“NFC”) to improve the security, performance, and configuration of computing systems. In particular, NFC can be utilized to power an NFC-equipped server computer on or off, to log directly into an operating system executing on the NFC-equipped server computer, to stream firmware debugging data from an NFC-equipped server computer to an NFC-equipped mobile device, to initiate the update or recovery of firmware, to provide hardware inventory data, or to pair hardware devices. Firmware debugging data can also be streamed from a firmware to an NFC-equipped mobile device. NFC can also be utilized to disable functionality provided by a mobile device while the device is in motion, such as when a user of the mobile device is operating a motor vehicle.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
performing an operation, by a mobile device, to determine whether a near-field communication (NFC) tag can be read from an NFC card embedded in a pad within a motor vehicle;
determining, based at least on a first output of the operation, that the NFC tag cannot be read from the NFC card embedded in the pad;
determining, at a first time, that the mobile device is in motion; and
transmitting a first message to a remote server computer indicating that the mobile device is in motion but not located on the pad, whereby the remote server computer transmits a second message to a starter interrupt device to cause the starter interrupt device to disable a function of the motor vehicle.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second message further causes the starter interrupt device to provide an audible indicator.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based at least on a second output of the operation, that the NFC tag can be read from the NFC card in the pad; and
transmitting a third message to the remote server computer indicating that the mobile device is located on the pad, whereby the remote server computer transmits a fourth message to the starter interrupt device to enable operation of the motor vehicle.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a visual indicator or an audible indicator on the mobile device in response to determining, at the first time, that the mobile device is in motion.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based at least on a second output of the operation, that the NFC tag can be read from the NFC card embedded in the pad; and
disabling a function of the mobile device.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein
disabling the function of the mobile device comprises disabling a video screen of the mobile device.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining, at a second time, that the mobile device is not in motion; and
enabling the one or more functions of the mobile device.
8. A mobile device, comprising:
one or more processors;
a near-field communication (NFC) reader; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause the one or more processors to:
perform an operation to determine whether an NFC tag can be read by the NFC reader from an NFC card embedded in a pad within a motor vehicle;
determine, based at least on a first output of the operation, that the NFC tag cannot be read from the NFC card embedded in the pad;
determine, at a first time, that the mobile device is in motion; and
transmit a first message to a remote server computer indicating that the mobile device is in motion but not located on the pad, the remote server computer transmits a second message to a starter interrupt device to cause the starter interrupt device to disable a function of the motor vehicle.
9. The mobile device of claim 8 , the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having further instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause the one or more processors to:
determine, based at least on a second output of the operation, that the NFC tag can be read by the NFC reader from the NFC card embedded in the pad; and
transmit a third message to the remote server computer indicating that the mobile device is located on the pad, the remote server computer transmits a fourth message to the starter interrupt device to enable operation of the motor vehicle.
10. The mobile device of claim 8 , the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having further instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause the one or more processors to provide a visual indicator or an audible indicator on the mobile device in response to a determination, at the first time, that the mobile device is in motion.
11. The mobile device of claim 8 , the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having further instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause the one or more processors to:
determine, based at least on a second output of the operation, that the NFC tag can be read by the NFC reader from the NFC card embedded in the pad; and
disable a function of the mobile device.
12. The mobile device of claim 11 , the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having further instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause the one or more processors to:
determine, at a second time, that the mobile device is not in motion; and
enable the one or more functions of the mobile device.