Abstract:
A near field communication (NFC) device is utilized in a mobile communications device to facilitate sensing the presence of and connecting to a wireless local area network (WLAN). A user can position the mobile communications device in close proximity to a designated location of a WLAN establishment at which an NFC device is situated. Near field communication is then detected and WLAN data can then be communicated by near field communication to the NFC reader in the mobile communications device. The NFC reader is coupled to a controller of the mobile communications device to input data received by the NFC device to the controller for processing. The data are utilized to facilitate connection to the WLAN.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to mobile communications, more particularly to communication via wireless local area networks. 
     Wireless communication devices, such as cellular phones, laptop computers, pagers, personal communication systems (PCS), personal digital assistants (PDA), and the like, provide advantages of ubiquitous communication without geographic or time constraints, as well as the added security of being able to contact help in the event of an emergency. These devices provide the convenience of a handheld communication device that is capable of increased functionality. An expanding variety of additional features have become available, for example, short or multimedia messaging, multimedia playback, electronic mail, audio-video capturing, interactive gaming, data manipulation, web browsing, and the like. Other enhancements, such as, location-awareness features, e.g., global position system (GPS) tracking, enable mobile communication devices to monitor their position and display present location. 
     Various alternative wireless connection options have become available. One such option is connection to a wireless local area network (WLAN). Such connection provides access to the Internet and other networks. Typically, the communication device continuously searches for available wireless networks, thus consuming battery charge. A periodic searching alternative, although somewhat more energy conservative, is still wasteful. A need thus exists for a more energy efficient alternative for locating available wireless networks. 
     Upon identification of an available network, either a new network or a previously visited network, wireless connection of the mobile communication device thereto requires loading profile information for the network into the device and user interaction. Such process is cumbersome and time consuming. A need thus exists for an improved alternative for establishing connection to a wireless local area network. 
     DISCLOSURE 
     The above described needs are fulfilled, at least in part, by employing a near field communication (NFC) device to facilitate learning about the presence of and subsequent connection to a wireless local area network (WLAN) in the proximity of a mobile communications device. NFC is a known short range, high frequency, wireless communication technology that enables the exchange of data between devices over small distances. 
     The mobile communications device, which may be embodied as a cellular phone, laptop computer, pager, personal communication system (PCS), personal digital assistant (PDA), or the like, contains an NFC device. The NFC device is coupled to a controller of the mobile communications device to input data received by the NFC device to the controller for processing. A user can position the mobile communications device in close proximity to an NFC tag in a designated location of a WLAN establishment. Near field communication is then established and information about the available WLAN network can then be communicated by near field communication to the NFC reader in the mobile communications device. The mobile communications device, therefore, need not continuously search for WLAN presence. 
     Information for connecting wirelessly to the WLAN is automatically collected by the controller from the received NFC data. The mobile communication device is then configured for connection to the WLAN in accordance with the collected information. The collected information may include, for example, WLAN network identity, WLAN service provider information and wired equivalent privacy (WEP) code information. The controller can determine whether the device is a subscriber to the WLAN service provider and configure the device accordingly. Connection to the network can be established by automatically transmitting user login information. For example, memory of the mobile communications device may contain one or more macros to access the necessary login data and transmit such data appropriately pursuant the controller. The macro operation can implement a response to a prompt received from the WLAN. One of the macros can implement startup of a virtual private network (VPN). 
     If the controller determines from the collected data that the mobile communications device is not a subscriber of the WLAN service provider, a command may be issued to enter a manual search mode for a subscribed service provider. 
     Still other aspects, features, and advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated. The invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawing and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary mobile communication device; 
         FIG. 2  is an exemplary schematic illustration of near field communication between a mobile communication device and a WLAN establishment location; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of WLAN identification and connection operation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments. It should be apparent, however, that exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring exemplary embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary mobile communications device  100 , such as a cellular phone, laptop computer, or the like. User interface  109  includes display  111 , keypad  113 , microphone  115 , and speaker  117 . Display  111  provides a graphical interface that permits a user of mobile communication device  100  to view call status, configurable features, contact information, dialed digits, directory addresses, menu options, operating states, time, and other service information, such as physical configuration policies associating triggering events to physical configurations for automatically modifying a physical configuration of mobile communication device  100 . Keypad  113  is representative of conventional input mechanisms, which may also include a joystick, button controls, dials, etc. The graphical interface may include icons and menus, as well as other text, soft controls, symbols, and widgets. Display  111  enables users to perceive and interact with the various features of mobile communication device  100 . 
     Microphone  115  converts spoken utterances of a user into electronic audio signals. Speaker  117  converts audio signals into audible sounds. Microphone  115  and speaker  117  may operate as parts of a voice (or speech) recognition system. Display  111  and speaker  117  can reproduce media content receive by the device from the host server. 
     Communications circuitry  103  enables mobile communication device  100  to initiate, receive, process, and terminate various forms of communications, such as voice communications (e.g., phone calls), SMS messages (e.g., text and picture messages), and MMS messages. In other instances, communications circuitry  103  enables mobile communication device  100  to transmit, receive, and process data, such as image files, video files, audio files, ringbacks, ringtones, streaming audio, streaming video, etc. Communications circuitry  103  includes audio processing circuitry  119 , controller (or processor)  121 , location module  123  coupled to antenna  125 , memory  127 , transceiver  129  coupled to antenna  131 , and wireless controller  133  (e.g., a short range transceiver) coupled to antenna  135 . Controller  121  is also coupled to messaging module  125 . 
     Specific design and implementation of communications circuitry  103  can be dependent upon one or more communication networks for which mobile communication device  100  is intended to operate. For example, mobile communication device  100  may be configured for operation within any suitable wireless network utilizing, for instance, an electromagnetic (e.g., radio frequency, optical, and infrared) and/or acoustic transfer medium. In various embodiments, mobile communication device  100  (i.e., communications circuitry  103 ) may be configured for operation within any of a variety of data and/or voice networks, such as advanced mobile phone service (AMPS) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA) networks, general packet radio service (GPRS) networks, global system for mobile communications (GSM) networks, internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMT) networks, personal communications service (PCS) networks, time division multiple access (TDMA) networks, universal mobile telecommunications system (UTMS) networks, or a combination thereof. Other types of data and voice networks (both separate and integrated) are also contemplated, such as microwave access (MiMAX) networks, wireless fidelity (WiFi) networks, satellite networks, and the like. Also coupled to controller  121  are NFC reader  107  and camera  105 . Camera  105  can capture digital images and/or movies. Image and video files corresponding to the captured pictures and/or movies may be stored to memory  127 . 
       FIG. 2  is an exemplary schematic illustration of near field communication between a mobile communication device  100  and a WLAN establishment location  105 , represented by a cabinet that contains NFC tag  207 . The cabinet may be located, for example, at the entrance of the WLAN establishment. The mobile communication device  100  is exemplified in this instance as a cellular telephone. NFC tag  207  is contained within phone  100 . 
     NFC technology, as well-known to those skilled in the art, combines the functions of a contactless reader, a contactless card, and peer-to-peer communication. Operating at 13.56 MHz, NFC technology is defined in the ISO 18092 and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 21481, ECMA (340, 352 and 356) (European association for standardizing information and communication systems) and ETSI TS102 190 standards. When a device bearing an NFC reader is within range of a second device bearing an NFC tag, the device bearing the reader can obtain information in the tag and implement programmed action. NFC is thus a short-range wireless communication system enabled by positioning two NFC-enabled devices within a range of, for example, 1-10 centimeters of each other. 
     A user of the mobile phone  100 , upon entering the WLAN establishment can swipe the phone in the proximate vicinity of the NFC tag  207  of cabinet  105 , thereby implementing NFC signal communication  109  between the phone  100  and the NFC tag  207 . Local WLAN parameters are provided to the mobile device. The mobile device uses these parameters to configure operation for connection to the local network. If the WLAN is a service provider for which the device user has a subscription, the user&#39;s device username/password information is automatically entered and the connection is automatically established. 
     Operation is more fully explained with reference to the flow chart of  FIG. 3 . As represented by block  301 , the wireless communication device  100  is equipped with WLAN capability as well as NFC capability. WLAN profiles, passwords and subscription information to one or more particular service providers may be stored in memory  127 . Also stored therein may be connection macros that facilitate the connection establishment. As an example, some WLAN sites require a user to launch a browser to reach a “terms of acceptance” page. Once accepted, the port is opened and access to the internet is provided. For users who desire a virtual private network (VPN) connection, the macro may include VPN connection startup. 
     The communication device  100  is not actively searching for WLAN connection and is not expending battery charge for such operation. At step  303 , the user enters a “hotspot” WLAN establishment  105  and scans NFC tag  207  with the mobile device at step  305 . Information about the WLAN ID as well as WLAN configuration WEP codes, WLAN service provider, etc., is provided to the mobile device. At step  307 , determination is made as to whether sufficient WLAN configuration and connection information is available. If insufficient information exists, the user may initiate a manual search at step  309 . The user is then prompted as needed at step  311  and connection to the service is established at step  313 . 
     If sufficient configuration and connection information has been determined at step  307 , determination is then made at step  315  of whether the WLAN network is recognized by the mobile device  100 . For example, the user may have been connected with the network in a previous communication or may be a subscriber to the service provider. If the WLAN network is not recognized at step  315 , the information collected at step  305  is used by the mobile device to configure WLAN connection, login information, macros, etc., at step  317 . The process flow then continues to step  311 . 
     If the WLAN network is recognized by the mobile device  100  at step  315 , then determination is made at step  319  of whether the user is a subscriber to the service provider. If so, account information stored in memory  127  is accessed and controller  121  initiates automatic login to the network at step  321 . If it is determined at step  315  that there is no subscription to the WLAN service provider, the flow reverts to step  317  thereafter to use the collected information to respond to prompts for connection at steps  311  and  313 . 
     Among the advantages of the present disclosure is that NFC capability in a WLAN capable communications device may be utilized to collect network and connection information to facilitate establishment of WLAN connection and service. In this disclosure there are shown and described only preferred embodiments of the invention and but a few examples of its versatility. It is to be understood that the invention is capable of use in various other combinations and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein.