Apparatus and method for enabling near field communication equipment in a portable communications device

1. A method of enabling a near field communication operation of a battery powered portable device, a battery being in a discharged state and having a residual charge, said method comprising:

determining a characteristics of said battery by reading said characteristic from a first memory;

programming said characteristics into a second memory, said second memory being associated with a near field communication component of said battery powered portable device;

said battery being in a discharged state and having a residual charge, said residual charge being at least a minimal charge specified for operation of said battery without causing damage thereto by excessive discharge;

detecting the presence of a near field communication field;

determining that said battery powered portable device is powered off such that said battery is disconnected from said near field communication component of said battery powered portable device;

monitoring a voltage level of said battery such that said residual charge does not drop below a damaging voltage level; and

activating a switch to connect said battery to said near field communication component.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

setting a threshold for said voltage level, said threshold for use by a voltage detector component of said battery powered portable device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a characteristics of said battery by reading said characteristic from a first memory, further comprises:

reading said characteristic from a memory located in said battery, wherein said first memory is said memory located in said battery.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a characteristics of said battery by reading said characteristics from a first memory, further comprises:

reading said characteristic from a memory located in said portable communication device, wherein said first memory is said memory located in said portable communication device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating a switch to connect said battery to said near field communication component, further comprises:

summing a first voltage from said battery with a second voltage from said near field communication field to produce a summed voltage and providing said summed voltage to said near field communication component.

6. A method of enabling a near field communication operation of a battery powered portable device, a battery being in a discharged state and having a residual charge, said method comprising:

determining by a voltage detector that said battery is in a discharged state and has a residual charge, said residual charge being at least a minimal charge specified for operation of said battery without causing damage thereto by excessive discharge;

detecting the presence of a near field communication field by a near field communication transceiver, said near field communication transceiver being included in a near field communication module;

determining that said battery powered portable device is powered off such that said battery is disconnected from a near field communication component of said battery powered portable device;

monitoring a voltage level of said battery such that said residual charge does not drop below a damaging voltage level; and

activating a switch by a logical AND circuit, said logical AND circuit having a first input indicating that a near field communication field has been detected, a second input indicating that said voltage level is above said damaging voltage level, and a third input indicating that said portable device is powered off, and connecting said battery to said near field communication component via said switch.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

providing said third input indicating that said portable device is powered off via a transistor circuit, said transistor circuit providing a logical one indication when said portable device is powered off and providing a logical zero indication when said portable device is powered on.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein acting a switch by a logical AND circuit, further comprises:

summing a first voltage from said battery with a second voltage from said near field communication field to produce a summed voltage and providing said summed voltage to said near field communication module.

9. A method of setting an operating voltage of a component of a battery powered portable device, said battery powered portable device having a removable installed battery, said component for use in conjunction with a near field communication component, said method comprising:

said battery being in a normally charged state, said normally charged state allowing for normal operation of said battery powered portable device, said near field communication component and said component;

determining an operating voltage of said component;

setting said operating voltage of said component in a memory of said near field communication component;

detecting the presence of a near field communication field;

determining that said battery powered portable device is powered off such that said battery is disconnected from a near field communication component of said battery powered portable device; and

applying said operating voltage to said component, said operating voltage being read from said memory.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining an operating voltage of said component further comprises:

determining an operating voltage of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).

11. The method of claim 9 wherein determining an operating voltage of said component further comprises:

determining an operating voltage of a Secure Digital (SD) device.