Docking system and method using near field communication
A method and system for configuring a mobile computing device to a docking station using near field communication is disclosed. A mobile computing device may scan an NFC tag integrated with the docking station to gather docking-station information. This docking-station information may be used by the mobile computing device to (i) configure its interface connector to match the docking connector, (ii) establish a communication link with the docking station and/or a host computer connected to the docking station, or (iii) authenticate the docking station to the mobile computing device or vice versa.
1. A method for docking an NFC-enabled mobile computing device with an NFC-enabled docking station, the method comprising:
placing an NFC-enabled mobile computing device in proximity to an NFC-enabled docking station;
transferring docking-station information from the NFC-enabled docking station to the NFC-enabled mobile computing device using NFC communication, wherein the docking station information comprises the docking station's connector configuration and the signals to expect on each pin;
reconfiguring the NFC-enabled mobile computing device's interface connector pins to electrically match the NFC-enabled docking station connector's configuration based on the received docking-station information; and
connecting an interface connector on the NFC-enabled mobile computing device with a docking connector on the NFC-enabled docking station.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the NFC-enabled docking station comprises an NFC tag that is scanned by the NFC-enabled mobile computing device to transfer the docking-station information.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the docking-station information configures the NFC-enabled mobile computing device to establish a communication link with the NFC-enabled docking station.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the docking-station information configures the NFC-enabled mobile computing device to establish a communication link with a host computer connected to the NFC-enabled docking station.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the docking-station information configures the NFC-enabled mobile computing device to establish a communication link with the NFC-enabled docking station and a host computer connected to the NFC-enabled docking station.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of transferring docking-station information is initiated when the NFC-enabled mobile computing device detects a docking condition.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the docking-station information includes docking-station authentication credentials.
8. The method according to claim 7 , comprising the step of using the docking-station authentication credentials to establish a communication link between the NFC-enabled mobile computing device and the NFC-enabled docking station and/or a host computer connected to the NFC-enabled docking station.
9. A near field communication docking system, comprising:
an NFC-enabled mobile computing device;
an NFC-enabled docking station having docking-station information and configured to transfer the docking-station information to the NFC-enabled mobile computing device using NFC communication;
wherein the NFC-enabled docking system uses the docking-station information to configure the NFC-enabled mobile computing device when the NFC-enabled mobile computing device is positioned in proximity to the NFC-enabled docking station;
wherein the docking station information comprises the docking station's connector configuration and the signals to expect on each pin; and
wherein the NFC-enabled mobile computing device reconfigures its interface connector pins to electrically match the NFC-enabled docking station connector's configuration.
10. The near field communication docking system according to claim 9 , wherein the NFC-enabled docking station includes an NFC tag that facilitates the transfer of the docking-station information from the NFC-enabled docking station to the NFC-enabled mobile computing device.
11. The near field communication docking system according to claim 9 , wherein the near field communication docking system uses the docking-station information to configure the NFC-enabled mobile computing device to establish a communication link with the NFC-enabled docking station.
12. The near field communication docking system according to claim 9 , wherein the near field communication docking system uses the docking-station information to configure the NFC-enabled mobile computing device to establish a communication link with a host computer connected to the NFC-enabled docking station.
13. The near field communication docking system according to claim 9 , wherein the near field communication docking system uses the docking-station information to configure the NFC-enabled mobile computing device to establish a communication link with the NFC-enabled docking station and a host computer connected to the NFC-enabled docking station.
14. The near field communication docking system according to claim 9 , wherein the NFC-enabled mobile computing device is configured to acquire information from the NFC-enabled docking station when the NFC-enabled mobile computing device detects a docking condition.
15. The near field communication docking system according to claim 9 , wherein the docking-station information includes docking station authentication credentials.
16. The near field communication docking system according to claim 15 , wherein the near field communication docking system uses the docking station authentication credentials to establish a communication link between the NFC-enabled mobile computing device and the NFC-enabled docking station and/or a host computer connected to the NFC-enabled docking station.
17. The near field communication docking system according to claim 9 , wherein the NFC-enabled mobile computing device is configured to provide a key code to the NFC-enabled docking station in order to initiate transfer of the docking-station information from the NFC-enabled docking station to the NFC-enabled mobile computing device.
18. The near field communication docking system according to claim 9 , wherein the near field communication docking system uses encrypted docking-station information to configure the NFC-enabled mobile computing device.