Proximity boundary based communication using radio frequency (rf) communication standards

Abstract

Technology is described for proximity based communications. A proximity boundary can be defined with dimensions defined by a communication range of one of a first Short Range Communication (SRC) device and a second SRC device. The first SRC device and the second SRC device can be configured to communicate using near field magnetic induction (NFMI). A proximity signal can be communicated in the proximity boundary between the first SRC device and the second SRC device. A security permission can be provided to enable selected data to be communicated from one or more of the first SRC device or the second SRC device in the proximity boundary when the proximity signal is detected between the first SRC device and the second SRC device. The selected data can be communicated from one or more of the first SRC device or the second SRC device using a radio frequency (RF) communication standard.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for proximity based communications, comprising:
 defining a proximity boundary with dimensions defined, in part, by a communication range of one of a first Short Range Communication (SRC) device and a second SRC device, wherein the first SRC device and the second SRC device are configured to communicate using near field magnetic induction (NFMI);   communicating a proximity signal in the proximity boundary between the first SRC device and the second SRC device using NFMI, wherein at least one of the first and second SRC devices includes at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity; and   providing a security permission to enable selected data to be communicated from one or more of the first SRC device or the second SRC device in the proximity boundary when the proximity signal is detected between the first SRC device and the second SRC device, wherein the selected data is communicated from one or more of the first SRC device or the second SRC device using a radio frequency (RF) communication standard.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating the selected data in the proximity boundary using a first multi-Radio Access Technology (MRAT) transceiver associated with the first SRC device and a second MRAT transceiver associated with the second SRC device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating the selected data in the proximity boundary using the RF communication standard to achieve increased data rates with respect to typical data rates achieved using NFMI. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the RF communication standard is Bluetooth. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the RF communication standard is Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) 802.11-2012, 802.11ac-2013, 802.11ad, 802.11ax, IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16, or Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) Release 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating the proximity signal in the proximity boundary as an NFMI signal using a first NFMI transceiver associated with the first SRC device and a second NFMI transceiver associated with the second SRC device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity signal includes information to indicate the security permission for one or more of the first SRC device and the second SRC device to communicate the selected data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the security permission is provided for one or more of the first SRC device and the second SRC device to communicate the selected data using the RF communication standard for:
 a selected time period; or   at a selected time period.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the security permission further enables the selected data to be communicated:
 from one or more of the first SRC device or the second SRC device in the proximity boundary to another computing device in the proximity boundary;   from the first SRC device in the proximity boundary to the second SRC device in the proximity boundary; or from the second SRC device in the proximity boundary to the first SRC device in the proximity boundary.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing the security permission in an encrypted format. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing the security permission in an unencrypted format when the proximity signal is communicated substantially only in the proximity boundary. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising defining a size of the proximity boundary based on at least one of: a transmit power of the first SRC device or the second SRC device, a receive sensitivity of the first SRC device or the second SRC device, or an antenna alignment of the first SRC device or the second SRC device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising revoking a permission in order to terminate a communication of the selected data using the RF communication standard when at least one of the first SRC device or the second SRC device exits the proximity boundary. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first SRC device and the second SRC device are coupled to mobile computing devices. 
     
     
         15 . A proximity based communications system, comprising:
 a proximity Short Range Communication (PSRC) device including a first near field magnetic induction (NFMI) transceiver, the PSRC device in a substantially fixed position and coupled to a first computing device;   a SRC device including a second NFMI transceiver, the SRC device coupled to a second computing device, wherein at least one of the PSRC device and the SRC device includes at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity, wherein a proximity boundary with dimensions is defined, in part, by a communication range of one or more of the PSRC device or the SRC device;   a proximity signal module, coupled to the PSRC device, configured to communicate a proximity signal to the SRC device within the proximity boundary using NFMI to indicate that the PSRC device and the SRC device are located within the proximity boundary; and   a security permission module, coupled to the PSRC device, operable to provide a security permission to the SRC device when the proximity signal is detected between the PSRC device and the SRC device, the security permission enabling the SRC device to communicate selected data from within the proximity boundary using a radio frequency (RF) communication standard.   
     
     
         16 . The proximity based communications system of  claim 15 , wherein the selected data is communicated from within the proximity boundary using at least one of:
 a first multi-Radio Access Technology (MRAT) transceiver associated with the PSRC device or a second MRAT transceiver associated with the SRC device.   
     
     
         17 . The proximity based communications system of  claim 15 , wherein the selected data is communicated from within the proximity boundary using the RF communication standard to achieve increased data rates with respect to typical data rates achieved using NFMI. 
     
     
         18 . The proximity based communications system of  claim 15 , wherein the RF communication standard is Bluetooth, Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) 802.11-2012, 802.11ac-2013, 802.11ad, 802.11ax, IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16, or Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) Release 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13. 
     
     
         19 . The proximity based communications system of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the PSRC device or the SRC device is configured to communicate pairing information to allow at least one of the first computing device or the second computing device to pair with another computing device using one of: NFMI, Bluetooth or the RF communication standard. 
     
     
         20 . The proximity based communications system of  claim 15 , wherein the proximity signal module is configured to broadcast the proximity signal for detection at the SRC device, wherein the proximity signal is broadcasted using the first NFMI transceiver associated with the PSRC device and the proximity signal is detected using the second NFMI transceiver associated with the SRC device.