Patents by Inventor John Hillan

John Hillan 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).

  • Patent number: 11791866
    Abstract: A near-field communication (NFC) device is described. The NFC device includes an antenna configured to radiate an electromagnetic field. The NFC device also includes electronic circuitry coupled to the antenna. The electronic circuitry is configured to receive first data from a unidirectional tag device within a transmission limit. The electronic circuitry is also configured to receive second data from at least one bidirectional tag device after the transmission limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: John Hillan
  • Patent number: 11363455
    Abstract: A first apparatus may generate a set of Near Field Communication (NFC) Forum Data Exchange Format (NDEF) records, and each NDEF record of the set of NDEF records may include an NDEF record header and an NDEF record payload. The first apparatus may apply an authentication-encryption function to each NDEF record of the set of NDEF records based on the NDEF record header of each NDEF record, the NDEF record payload of each NDEF record, and a value associated with each NDEF record to obtain a set of authentication-encrypted NDEF record payloads respectively corresponding to the set of NDEF records. Each authentication-encrypted NDEF record payload may include an encrypted NDEF record payload and an authentication tag associated with a corresponding NDEF record. The first apparatus may transmit a protected NDEF message including the set of authentication-encrypted NDEF records to a second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: John Hillan
  • Patent number: 11272358
    Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. In certain implementations, the apparatus may establish at least one encryption key with a second device. The apparatus may generate an NDEF message. In certain aspects, the NDEF message may include one or more NDEF records. In certain other aspects, each of the one or more NDEF records may include an NDEF record header and an NDEF record payload. The apparatus may encrypt the NDEF message based at least in part on the at least one encryption key such that the NDEF record payload of each of the one or more NDEF records is encrypted and the NDEF record header of each of the one or more NDEF records is unencrypted. The apparatus may transmit the NDEF message to the second device upon encryption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: John Hillan
  • Patent number: 10812262
    Abstract: An initiator device and a target device may be configured to communicate with each other based on an anonymous key agreement procedure and an associated key agreement procedure. The anonymous key agreement procedure is performed for an initial communication session between the devices based on bonding identifiers (BIs) received in an attribute request/response. The BIs may be maintained by the devices to forego the anonymous key agreement procedure for subsequent communication sessions, where the devices may instead communicate based on an associated key agreement procedure. In cases where BIs are changed or lost by one of the devices, the associated key agreement procedure may not be performed and the anonymous key agreement procedure may be again attempted by the device. The other device is configured to determine that the anonymous key agreement procedure is being attempted and complete the anonymous key agreement procedure in an anonymous mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John Hillan, Jeremy Robin Christopher O'Donoghue
  • Publication number: 20200228980
    Abstract: A first apparatus may generate a set of Near Field Communication (NFC) Forum Data Exchange Format (NDEF) records, and each NDEF record of the set of NDEF records may include an NDEF record header and an NDEF record payload. The first apparatus may apply an authentication-encryption function to each NDEF record of the set of NDEF records based on the NDEF record header of each NDEF record, the NDEF record payload of each NDEF record, and a value associated with each NDEF record to obtain a set of authentication-encrypted NDEF record payloads respectively corresponding to the set of NDEF records. Each authentication-encrypted NDEF record payload may include an encrypted NDEF record payload and an authentication tag associated with a corresponding NDEF record. The first apparatus may transmit a protected NDEF message including the set of authentication-encrypted NDEF records to a second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventor: John HILLAN
  • Patent number: 10690762
    Abstract: A method for determining a distance upper bound by a verifier device is described. The method includes measuring a first round-trip time to receive a first response from a target device corresponding to a first message sent to the target device. The method also includes measuring a second round-trip time to receive a second response from the target device corresponding to a second message sent to the target device, the second response being delayed by a processing time multiplier. The method further includes determining a transit time measurement based on the first round-trip time, the second round-trip time and the processing time multiplier. The method additionally includes determining the distance upper bound based on the transit time measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John Hillan, Jeremy Robin Christopher O'Donoghue, Stephen Frankland
  • Patent number: 10645651
    Abstract: Techniques for improving re-activation of an NFC-F based remote near field communication (NFC) device are described. A polling NFC device may be configured to determine that an NFC-F based remote NFC device was previously deactivated, and transmit a sense request message to enable the remote NFC device to receive an attribute request message as part of a device activation procedure. A polling NFC device may be configured to set a sleep flag to indicate that a deselected NFC-F based remote NFC device is in a sleep sub-state. The polling NFC device may be configured to determine that the remote NFC device is to be activated as a type 3 tag, as part of a device activation procedure, and reset the sleep flag to indicate that the remote NFC device is no longer in the sleep sub-state based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: John Hillan, Dubai Chingalande
  • Publication number: 20200106482
    Abstract: A near-field communication (NFC) device is described. The NFC device includes an antenna configured to radiate an electromagnetic field. The NFC device also includes electronic circuitry coupled to the antenna. The electronic circuitry is configured to receive first data from a unidirectional tag device within a transmission limit. The electronic circuitry is also configured to receive second data from at least one bidirectional tag device after the transmission limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventor: John Hillan
  • Publication number: 20200092087
    Abstract: Examples herein disclose apparatus and methods for NFC authentication using NDEF message exchange. In one example, a mapping from the NFC Authentication process to suitable NDEF records and messages occurs during the bonding and authentication phases. This may include new NDEF record types plus a mapping of the relevant steps in the NFC authentication process where data is exchanged to the NDEF messages that are to be used in each step and new mechanisms by which errors can be indicated and detected by the devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: John HILLAN, Jeremy Robin Christopher O'DONOGHUE
  • Publication number: 20200015072
    Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. In certain implementations, the apparatus may establish at least one encryption key with a second device. The apparatus may generate an NDEF message. In certain aspects, the NDEF message may include one or more NDEF records. In certain other aspects, each of the one or more NDEF records may include an NDEF record header and an NDEF record payload. The apparatus may encrypt the NDEF message based at least in part on the at least one encryption key such that the NDEF record payload of each of the one or more NDEF records is encrypted and the NDEF record header of each of the one or more NDEF records is unencrypted. The apparatus may transmit the NDEF message to the second device upon encryption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventor: John HILLAN
  • Patent number: 10361754
    Abstract: Techniques for enabling a use of one or more signals in a Near Field Communication (NFC) device for NFC communication are described. In an aspect, the methods and apparatus include receiving, at a NFC controller, a stay quiet command from a device host, wherein the stay quiet command includes one or more unique identifiers (UIDs) corresponding to one or more remote NFC endpoints. Further, in an aspect, the methods and apparatus include transmitting, by the NFC controller, a stay quiet response to the device host based at least in part on the stay quiet command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: John Hillan
  • Publication number: 20190068369
    Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. In certain implementations, the apparatus may perform a first key agreement procedure to determine a first shared secret for communicating with a second device. In one aspect, the first shared secret may be associated with first BI of the first device and a second BI of the second device. The apparatus may maintain a first correlation between the first shared secret and the second BI. The apparatus may perform a key agreement recovery procedure when it is determined that the second device does not maintain a second correlation between the first shared secret and the first BI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: John HILLAN, Jeremy Robin Christopher O'DONOGHUE
  • Patent number: 10186749
    Abstract: A near field communication (NFC) device is described. The NFC device includes an NFC back end. The NFC back end includes an application processor and a first transceiver. The NFC device also includes an NFC head end that is physically separated from the NFC back end. The NFC head end includes an antenna, a contactless front end, and a second transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeremy Robin Christopher O'Donoghue, John Hillan
  • Publication number: 20180205818
    Abstract: Transportation systems and infrastructure increasingly use wireless communication systems to provide access and payment methods for users. Because the wireless communication systems across transportation platforms differ, a need exists to indicate whether a device is interoperable with different systems. In an aspect, a method, an apparatus, a computer-readable medium are provided. The apparatus may be configured to detect on the apparatus a contactless application for accessing transportation infrastructure. The apparatus may be configured to determine whether the apparatus is compatible with device requirements of the contactless application for accessing transportation infrastructure and to provide a compatibility indication based on the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventor: John HILLAN
  • Patent number: 9980117
    Abstract: Aspects disclosed herein relate to providing peer communications between NFC enabled devices using an active communication mode. In one example, a communications device is equipped to detect a remote NFC device field within an operating volume, establish a peer communication link with the remote NFC device using an active communication mode, determine that the peer communication link is to be deselected, and transmit a deselection request message to the remote NFC device indicating to the remote NFC device that it has been deselected while maintaining the peer communication link. In another example, a communications device is equipped to sense an operating volume, as part of an active communication mode collision avoidance procedure, determine that no field is sensed, initiate an unmodulated carrier as part of switching an operating field to an on state, and maintain the unmodulated carrier for a collision avoidance threshold duration of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John Hillan, Anssi Kaleva Haverinen
  • Patent number: 9887743
    Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in connection with enabling a NFC-enabled device to discover and/or communicate with a TTF device. In one example, a NFC enabled device is equipped to initiate a RF field that is not modulated by the NFC-enabled device as part of a technology detection process, monitor the RF field for at least a portion of a wait duration, determine whether, during the wait duration, the RF field is modulated in a manner consistent with modulation characteristics of a NFC technology, and terminate the technology detection process upon the determination that the RF field is modulated a manner consistent with modulation characteristics of the NFC technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: John Hillan
  • Patent number: 9800693
    Abstract: A method is described. The method includes enabling and configuring poll mode for a near field communication (NFC) data exchange format (NDEF) radio frequency (RF) interface configuration. The method also includes determining that a remote NFC endpoint includes an NFC forum tag once an NFC controller (NFCC) has successfully completed protocol activation. The method further includes performing activation operations based on an RF protocol of the NFC forum tag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John Hillan, Dubai Chingalande, Alan Gillespie
  • Patent number: 9735834
    Abstract: Aspects relate to improving reporting NFC RF technology usage in activation and data exchange for NFC devices. For example, with a near field communication (NFC) device, a NFCC may be configured to obtain a first radio frequency (RF) technology and mode value, a second RF technology and mode value, and one or more RF specific parameters associated with a NFC device during an activation phase of a communication link using a first NFC RF technology. The one or more RF specific parameters may be based on the first RF technology and mode value. Further, the NFCC may be configured to configure communications to be supported by a second NFC RF technology for use during a data exchange phase of the communication link. The second NFC RF technology may be based on the second RF technology and mode value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John Hillan, Jeremy Robin Christopher O'Donoghue
  • Patent number: 9647884
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and/or devices for enabling configuration of NFC devices acting in a listening operation mode are disclosed. In some examples, an NFC-enabled device may select a listening mode profile from a list of listening mode profiles that define parameters for configuring the NFC-enabled device. In some aspects, the list of listening mode profiles may include a set of configuration parameters and corresponding parameter values for peer-to-peer (P2P) listen mode profile, a Type 3 Tag (T3T) listen mode profile, a Type 4A Tag (T4AT) listen mode profile, and a Type 4B Tag (T4BT) listen mode profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: John Hillan
  • Publication number: 20170127225
    Abstract: A method for determining when to delay sending a response for distance bounding by a target device is described. The method includes receiving a challenge in a polling frame from a verifier device on a carrier signal for inductively coupled communication. The method also includes delaying a response adhering to rules of NFC type-A using a processing time multiplier. The method further includes sending the response to the verifier device in a listen frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventor: John Hillan