Patents by Inventor Andrew Douglas SMART

Andrew Douglas SMART has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Mobile wireless communications system including NFC carrying case and related methods
    Patent number: 9923587
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications system may include a mobile wireless communications device that may include a portable housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the portable housing, and a processor carried by the portable housing and coupled to the wireless transceiver. The mobile wireless communications device may also include a near-field communication (NFC) device coupled to the processor. An NFC carrying case may carry and communicate with the mobile wireless communications device. The NFC carrying case may include a base panel to carry the mobile wireless communications device, and a removable cover panel coupled to the base panel. The NFC carrying case may also include pairs of discontinuous NFC circuit segments carried by the removable cover panel and switch assemblies carried by the removable cover panel. Each switch assembly may selectively couple a respective pair of discontinuous NFC circuit segments to establish NFC communication with the NFC device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Leonardo Aldana, John Ivan Scharkov, Andrew Douglas Smart
  • Method and apparatus pertaining to use of bluetooth and bluetooth low energy
    Patent number: 9204243
    Abstract: Both Bluetooth-compatible and Bluetooth Low Energy-compatible transceivers are selectively used when supporting wireless communications between two electronic communication devices such as a so-called smartphone and a hands-free accessory. During a first operating state the devices use Bluetooth and during a second operating state the devices use Bluetooth Low Energy. By one approach the first operating state correlates to when a first one of the devices is actively engaged in telephony and the second operating state correlates to when that first device is not actively engaged in telephony.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Douglas Smart, Stephen Michael Coe, John Ivan Scharkov
  • Method and Apparatus Pertaining to use of Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy
    Publication number: 20140274033
    Abstract: Both Bluetooth-compatible and Bluetooth Low Energy-compatible transceivers are selectively used when supporting wireless communications between two electronic communication devices such as a so-called smartphone and a hands-free accessory. During a first operating state the devices use Bluetooth and during a second operating state the devices use Bluetooth Low Energy. By one approach the first operating state correlates to when a first one of the devices is actively engaged in telephony and the second operating state correlates to when that first device is not actively engaged in telephony.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Andrew Douglas SMART, Stephen Michael COE, John Ivan SCHARKOV
  • MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM INCLUDING NFC CARRYING CASE AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20130309966
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications system may include a mobile wireless communications device that may include a portable housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the portable housing, and a processor carried by the portable housing and coupled to the wireless transceiver. The mobile wireless communications device may also include a near-field communication (NFC) device coupled to the processor. An NFC carrying case may carry and communicate with the mobile wireless communications device. The NFC carrying case may include a base panel to carry the mobile wireless communications device, and a removable cover panel coupled to the base panel. The NFC carrying case may also include pairs of discontinuous NFC circuit segments carried by the removable cover panel and switch assemblies carried by the removable cover panel. Each switch assembly may selectively couple a respective pair of discontinuous NFC circuit segments to establish NFC communication with the NFC device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Leonardo ALDANA, John Ivan SCHARKOV, Andrew Douglas SMART