Method for assisting card reader in realizing card searching, card searching method, and NFC tag

Abstract

A method for assisting a card reader in realizing card searching, a card searching method, and an NFC tag. The method for assisting a card reader in realizing card searching comprises: sensing a wireless signal within a preset detection range; performing analog-to-digital conversion on a sensed analog signal to obtain a digital signal; when it is determined that the digital signal corresponds to a low power card detection (LPCD) signal, generating an excitation signal, wherein the LPCD signal is sent by a card reader device in an LPCD mode; and sending the excitation signal, so that the card reader device is switched to a normal card searching mode from the LPCD mode.

Description

Method for assisting card reader in realizing card search, card search method and NFC tag

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 6, 2024, with application number 2024101726103 and application name “A method for assisting a card reader in finding a card, a card finding method and an NFC tag”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] One or more embodiments of this specification relate to the field of wireless communications, and more particularly to a method for assisting a card reader in finding a card, a card finding method, and an NFC tag. Background Art

[0003] NFC (Near Field Communication) is a short-range wireless communication technology that enables convenient interaction and data transmission between two NFC devices or between an NFC device and an NFC tag.

[0004] In related technologies, mobile devices such as mobile phones can act as NFC devices with card reader functions to read information from NFC tags. However, considering the battery life of mobile devices, LPCD (Low Power Card Detection) mode is usually used. When the mobile device is close to the NFC tag, it switches to normal card search mode.

[0005] However, the sensing distance and sensing sensitivity of mobile devices to NFC tags in LPCD mode are reduced, resulting in the mobile device being unable to switch to normal card search mode, which in turn significantly reduces the success rate of mobile devices sensing NFC tags, affecting the user experience.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, one or more embodiments of this specification provide a method for assisting a card reader in achieving card search, a card search method, and an NFC tag.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, one or more embodiments of this specification provide the following technical solutions:

[0009] According to a first aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a method for assisting a card reader in achieving card search is proposed, which is applied to an NFC tag and includes:

[0010] Perform signal detection within the preset detection range;

[0011] generating an excitation signal in the case of detecting a low power card detection LPCD signal, wherein the LPCD signal is sent by the card reader device in a low power card detection mode;

[0012] The excitation signal is sent to switch the card reader device from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode.

[0013] According to a second aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a card search method is provided, which is applied to a card reader device, including:

[0014] In low power card detection mode, a low power card detection LPCD signal is sent;

[0015] When an excitation signal is received, the low-power card detection mode is switched to a normal card search mode. The excitation signal is sent by the NFC tag when the LPCD signal is detected.

[0016] According to a third aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, an NFC tag is provided, including:

[0017] An NFC coil is configured to sense wireless signals within a preset detection range, wherein the wireless signals include a low-power card detection (LPCD) signal, which is emitted by a card reader device in a low-power card detection mode.

[0018] An NFC tag chip, connected to the NFC coil, and configured to store written tag data;

[0019] an excitation module, connected to the NFC coil, for generating an excitation signal and sending it through the NFC coil when it is determined that the NFC coil senses the LPCD signal, so as to switch the card reader device from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, an electronic device is proposed, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the method described in the first or second aspect above when executing the computer program.

[0021] According to a fifth aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in the first or second aspect are implemented.

[0022] According to a sixth aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a computer program product is proposed, comprising a computer program / instruction, which implements the method described in the first or second aspect above when executed by a processor.

[0023] In the technical solution provided in this specification, an NFC tag can detect signals within a preset detection range and, upon detecting an LPCD signal emitted by a card reader device in low-power card detection mode, generate an excitation signal to stimulate the card reader device to switch from low-power card detection mode to normal card search mode. By applying the technical solution of this specification, the NFC tag can automatically detect the LPCD signal and actively send an excitation signal to ensure that the card reader device can exit low-power mode and search for cards normally, significantly improving the success rate of mobile devices sensing NFC tags and enhancing the user experience.

[0024] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a near field communication system provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] FIG2 is a flow chart of a method for assisting a card reader in achieving card search, provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] FIG3 is a flow chart of a card searching method provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an NFC tag structure provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] FIG5 is a schematic block diagram of an excitation module structure provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0030] FIG6 is a timing diagram of a card searching process provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0031] FIG7( a ) is a schematic diagram of a signal waveform during card searching provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0032] FIG7( b ) is a schematic diagram of a signal waveform during card searching provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0033] FIG7( c ) is a schematic diagram of a signal waveform during card searching provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0034] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a device provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] FIG9 is a block diagram of a device for assisting a card reader in achieving card search, provided by an exemplary embodiment.

[0036] FIG10 is a block diagram of a card-finding device provided by an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all implementations consistent with one or more embodiments of this specification. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with certain aspects of one or more embodiments of this specification, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0038] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the steps of the corresponding method are not necessarily performed in the order shown and described in this specification. In some other embodiments, the method may include more or fewer steps than those described in this specification. In addition, a single step described in this specification may be broken down into multiple steps for description in other embodiments, and multiple steps described in this specification may be combined into a single step for description in other embodiments.

[0039] The user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this manual are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of relevant data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of relevant countries and regions, and corresponding operation entrances are provided for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0040] NFC (Near Field Communication) is a short-range wireless communication technology that enables near-field communication between two NFC devices and interaction between NFC devices and NFC tags to transmit, write, and read data. Here, an NFC device is an active device with reader functionality, known as an NFC reader, while an NFC tag is a passive device that does not actively emit any signals or data and requires stimulation from an active device to function. Therefore, NFC has two communication modes: active and passive. Active mode corresponds to the interaction between two NFC devices. Both the initiating and target devices are NFC devices, and both actively generate a radio frequency field when sending data to each other. Passive mode, on the other hand, corresponds to the interaction between an NFC device and an NFC tag. The NFC device (NFC reader) acts as the initiator, also known as the master. The master uses energy from another power supply to generate a radio frequency field and transmits signal data to the target NFC tag, also known as the slave. The slave passively responds to signals from the master without generating a radio frequency field.

[0041] In related technologies, mobile devices with NFC card reader functions, such as mobile phones, can act as NFC devices in the above-mentioned passive mode. When they are close to other NFC tags, a 13.56MHz radio frequency field will be established between the two as a near-field communication field, and data transmission and exchange will be achieved through this communication field. However, due to the battery life issues faced by mobile devices, device manufacturers of mobile phones and other mobile devices will set low-power usage goals for NFC functions, and accordingly make a series of low-power restrictions and optimizations on the NFC reader function, such as adopting LPCD (Low Power Card Detection) mode. In LPCD mode, the mobile device will turn off the radio frequency field when there are no NFC tags around, and only send a low-power detection signal to reduce energy consumption; when the mobile device is close to the NFC tag, it can detect the impact of the NFC tag on the detection signal, and then exit LPCD mode and search for NFC tags in normal mode.

[0042] However, current mobile devices often fail to achieve ideal results when using LPCD mode to sense NFC tags. Because the signal strength emitted by mobile devices in LPCD mode is weak, the influence of NFC tags on this signal is also reduced. This makes it impossible for mobile devices to determine the presence of NFC tags based on the changing amplitude of the signal. Consequently, the mobile devices cannot make accurate judgments and cannot switch to normal card search mode. This significantly reduces the success rate of mobile devices sensing NFC tags, affecting the user experience.

[0043] In order to solve the above problems, this specification proposes a method for assisting a card reader in achieving card search and an NFC tag. The NFC tag can detect signals within a preset detection range, and when it detects an LPCD signal emitted by the card reader device in low-power card detection mode, it generates an excitation signal to stimulate the card reader device to switch from low-power card detection mode to normal card search mode.

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a near field communication system provided by an exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 1 , the system may include a mobile device 11 and several devices equipped with NFC tags, such as device 12 and device 13.

[0045] The mobile device 11 should be a type of electronic device with an NFC card reader function that can be used by the user, such as a mobile phone. In fact, the user can obviously also use electronic devices such as the following types: tablet devices, laptops, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), wearable devices (such as smart glasses, smart watches, etc.), etc., and one or more embodiments of this specification are not limited to this. During operation, the mobile device can run a program of a certain application to implement the NFC-related functions of the application. For example, when the mobile device runs a payment service application, it can sense the payment data in the NFC tag to jump to the payment page so that the user can complete the quick payment. Alternatively, the mobile device can directly jump to the target page of the target application based on the page address in the NFC tag.

[0046] It should be noted that the payment service application program can be pre-installed on the mobile device so that the application can be started and run on the mobile device; of course, when an online application such as HTML5 technology is adopted, the application can be obtained and run without installing the corresponding program on the mobile device.

[0047] Mobile device 11 and devices 12-13 equipped with NFC tags can communicate and transmit data between the devices via electromagnetic waves. Devices 12-13 can be any device equipped with an NFC tag, such as a payment terminal, payment code card, electronic door lock, or station gate. Of course, if a mobile device is equipped with an NFC tag, devices 12-13 can also be any of the aforementioned mobile devices, and this specification does not limit this.

[0048] FIG2 is a flowchart of a method for assisting a card reader in achieving card search, provided by an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG2 , the method can be applied to an NFC tag (e.g., deployed on devices 12-13 shown in FIG1 ), and can include the following steps:

[0049] S201, performing signal detection within a preset detection range.

[0050] In one embodiment, an NFC tag detects all signals within a preset detection range, which may include LPCD signals. The preset detection range is the maximum range covered by the NFC tag's detection function. The specific value depends on various factors, including transceiver power, antenna gain, and environmental conditions. For example, the preset detection range may include a preset frequency range.

[0051] Specifically, the NFC tag can sense radio frequency signals (wireless signals) within a preset frequency or a frequency band near the preset frequency through the NFC coil contained therein. The preset frequency is usually set to 13.56 MHz. The NFC coil can be pre-tuned to a frequency of 13.56 MHz and can therefore be used to sense radio frequency signals within a frequency band at or near 13.56 MHz. In the case where the card reader device, for example, emits a 13.56 MHz LPCD signal, when the card reader device is close to the NFC tag, the NFC coil in the NFC tag will induce a 13.56 MHz alternating current in the electromagnetic field generated by the LPCD signal.

[0052] In one embodiment, as described below with reference to FIG4 , an NFC tag is provided with an analog-to-digital converter 43, and the NFC coil is connected to the analog-to-digital converter 43. Thus, after sensing an alternating current, the NFC coil can transmit the alternating current to the analog-to-digital converter 43. The analog-to-digital converter 43 converts the alternating current into a digital signal and detects characteristics of the digital signal.

[0053] S202 : generating an excitation signal when a low power consumption card detection (LPCD) signal is detected. The LPCD signal is sent by the card reader device in a low power consumption card detection mode.

[0054] In one embodiment, a low-power card detection LPCD signal is emitted by a card reader device in a low-power card detection mode to sense whether an NFC tag exists in its vicinity. Since each LPCD signal has its own corresponding characteristics, such as differences in duration and amplitude change trends, the NFC tag can determine whether an LPCD signal emitted by the card reader device exists within a preset detection range based on the characteristics of the wireless signal corresponding to the characteristics of the digital signal, and generate an excitation signal when it is determined that an LPCD signal exists (i.e., the above-mentioned digital signal corresponds to an LPCD signal). The parameters required for generating the excitation signal can be set by a technician according to actual conditions, and can usually be set to a signal in the frequency band near 13.56 MHz, such as a signal between 12 and 15 MHz. This specification does not limit this.

[0055] S203: Send the excitation signal to switch the card reader device from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode.

[0056] In one embodiment, the NFC tag sends the excitation signal generated in the aforementioned embodiment to stimulate the card reader device to switch from the current low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode. Specifically, when the card reader device receives the excitation signal, it can also analyze the signal characteristics of the signal to determine whether it needs to exit the LPCD mode. The normal card search mode is a card search mode with higher power consumption than the LPCD mode. In the normal card search mode, the card reader will send an activation signal to the NFC tag in the hope of receiving a response from the NFC tag. The response of the NFC tag can be considered as a successful activation, and data can then be exchanged between the card reader and the NFC tag.

[0057] It should be noted that the timing of the excitation signal does not need to coincide with the LPCD signal transmission cycle; the reader device can receive the excitation signal at any time to achieve mode switching. The NFC tag can generate and transmit the excitation signal immediately after detecting the LPCD signal without any delay. Of course, technicians can also adjust the transmission timing according to actual needs, and this manual does not limit this.

[0058] It can be seen from the above embodiments that by applying the technical solution of this specification, the NFC tag can detect the LPCD signal by itself and actively send an excitation signal to ensure that the card reader device can exit the low-power mode and search for the card normally, which greatly improves the success rate of mobile devices sensing NFC tags and also enhances the user experience.

[0059] In one embodiment, in order to ensure that the initiated excitation signal can achieve the expected goal, that is, the excitation signal can stimulate the card reader device to smoothly switch modes, the NFC tag can further determine whether the LPCD signal meets the conditions requiring the NFC tag to send an excitation signal when detecting a low-power card detection LPCD signal.

[0060] Specifically, the NFC tag can obtain the signal characteristics of the LPCD signal. Similar to the aforementioned characteristics associated with each signal, the LPCD signals emitted by different card reader devices also vary. Signal characteristics may include signal interval period, signal amplitude, and signal duration. For example, if the signal intervals differ, device A may emit an LPCD signal every 200 milliseconds, while device B may emit an LPCD signal every 800 milliseconds. If the signal amplitudes differ, the amplitude of the LPCD signal emitted by device A may be -20dBm, while that emitted by device B may be -30dBm. If the signal transmission strategies differ, the difference lies in whether the devices perform a normal-power card search after emitting several LPCD signals. For example, in LPCD mode, device A may only emit LPCD signals, while device B may emit a normal-power activation signal after every four LPCD signals, followed by four more LPCD signals, repeating this cycle. It should be noted that when an NFC tag obtains signal characteristics, it can obtain all possible combinations of the above-mentioned one or more characteristics, and this specification does not limit the type and quantity of the signal characteristics obtained.

[0061] For purposes of this embodiment, card reader devices can be divided into two categories: the first category of card reader devices can smoothly switch from LPCD mode to normal card search mode upon receiving an excitation signal; the second category of card reader devices, upon receiving an excitation signal, may trigger a pre-installed simulated NFC tag within the card reader device. For example, certain mobile phones may trigger an NFC transit card or NFC access control card in response to the excitation signal, preventing the card reader from switching modes. In this embodiment, the second category of devices is considered the target type of device. This means that when a target type of device is in the low-power card detection mode, there is a risk that the pre-installed simulated NFC tag will be triggered by receiving an excitation signal. Because the LPCD signals emitted by different card reader devices vary, and these differences can be reflected through the signal characteristics of the LPCD signals, obtaining the signal characteristics of the LPCD signals can determine whether the card reader device emitting the LPCD signal is a target type of device. If the card reader device is not a target type of device, then generating an excitation signal ensures that the excitation signal can stimulate the card reader device to smoothly switch modes, achieving the desired goal.

[0062] In one embodiment, when the NFC tag detects the low-power card detection LPCD signal, it can also first determine whether there is an induction signal in the NFC coil corresponding to the NFC tag, and then generate an excitation signal if there is no induction signal. It can be understood that when a connection has been established between the NFC tag and the card reader device and data is being exchanged, the card reader device does not need to switch modes again, and the NFC tag does not need to send an excitation signal again. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the NFC tag has established a connection with the card reader device by determining whether there is an induction signal in the NFC coil corresponding to the NFC tag. When there is no induction signal in the NFC coil, that is, when the NFC tag has not yet established a connection with the card reader device, sending an excitation signal can effectively optimize the power consumption of the NFC tag. For example, when the NFC tag is equipped with a mobile device, the battery life of the mobile device can be extended.

[0063] FIG3 is a flow chart of a card search method provided by an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG3 , the method can be applied to a card reader device (e.g., can be deployed on the mobile device 11 shown in FIG1 ) and can include the following steps:

[0064] S301, in the low power card detection mode, sending a low power card detection LPCD signal;

[0065] S302 : Switching from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode upon receiving an excitation signal, wherein the excitation signal is sent by the NFC tag upon detecting the LPCD signal.

[0066] In one embodiment, the card reader device has multiple different card search modes. In the low-power card detection mode, the signal it emits is a low-power card detection (LPCD) signal. Upon receiving an excitation signal emitted by an NFC tag upon detecting the LPCD signal, the card reader device can switch from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode. For more information, please refer to the description of the NFC tag-side embodiment shown in Figure 1.

[0067] It can be seen from the above embodiments that by applying the technical solution of this specification, the card reader device can respond to the excitation signal actively sent by the NFC tag when in low-power mode, exit the low-power mode and perform normal card search, which greatly improves the success rate of mobile devices sensing NFC tags and enhances the user experience.

[0068] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an NFC tag structure provided by an exemplary embodiment, including an NFC coil 41 , an NFC tag chip 42 , an analog-to-digital converter 43 , and an excitation module 44 .

[0069] In one embodiment, the NFC coil 41 is used to sense wireless signals within a preset detection range. The wireless signal may be a variety of types of signals, including a low-power card detection LPCD signal, which is emitted by the card reader device in a low-power card detection mode. For related content, please refer to the aforementioned method embodiment. The NFC tag chip 42 is connected to the NFC coil 41 and is used to store the written tag data. Here, the NFC tag chip should be a slave device chip that can respond to the signal sent by the master device (card reader device) without actively sending any signal and data. The analog-to-digital converter 43 is connected to the NFC coil 41 and is used to convert the analog signal sensed by the NFC coil into a digital signal. The specific methods of the NFC coil sensing wireless signals, the NFC tag chip storing tag data, and the analog-to-digital converter performing signal conversion can be referred to the records in the relevant technology and will not be repeated in this specification.

[0070] In one embodiment, the excitation module 44 is connected to the NFC coil 41 and the analog-to-digital converter 43, respectively, and is configured to generate an excitation signal when it is determined that the digital signal corresponds to the LPCD signal, and send the excitation signal through the NFC coil 41 to switch the card reader device from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode.

[0071] In one embodiment, the excitation module can be implemented using an NFC reader chip. Unlike the aforementioned NFC tag chip, an NFC reader chip, as a host device chip, can generate radio frequency fields and actively send wireless signals, rather than just responding to signals. Implementing the excitation module using an NFC reader chip eliminates the need for additional hardware development, significantly reducing implementation complexity and development costs.

[0072] In another embodiment, the excitation module can be implemented by building a hardware circuit. Specifically, referring to Figure 5, the excitation module includes a controller 51 and a signal generation circuit 52. The controller 51 is connected to the analog-to-digital converter 43 in Figure 4 and is configured to obtain and identify the digital signal output by the analog-to-digital converter 43. Upon determining that the digital signal corresponds to the LPCD signal, the controller 51 issues an instruction to generate an excitation signal. The instruction to generate the excitation signal instructs the signal generation circuit 52 to generate an excitation signal. The instruction may include excitation signal generation parameters, such as the duration and signal amplitude of the excitation signal. The signal generation circuit 52 can generate a qualified excitation signal based on these generation parameters to ensure that the generated excitation signal achieves the desired effect after being issued. The signal generation circuit 52 is connected to the controller 51 and the NFC coil 41 respectively. Upon receiving the instruction to generate the excitation signal from the controller 51, the controller 51 generates an excitation signal and issues the excitation signal through the NFC coil 41. This embodiment provides another way to implement the excitation module 44. Since it is implemented by building an additional hardware circuit, technicians can more conveniently adjust the detailed functions without being limited to the already packaged NFC card reader chip, which has higher flexibility and adaptability.

[0073] In one embodiment, the controller 51 may also be configured to determine the signal characteristics of the LPCD signal, and if it is determined based on the signal characteristics that the card reader device issuing the LPCD signal is not a target type of device, then issue an instruction to generate the excitation signal to the signal generation circuit 52. In another embodiment, the controller 51 may also be configured to determine whether an induction signal is present in the NFC coil 41 corresponding to the NFC tag, and if no such induction signal is present, then issue an instruction to generate the excitation signal to the signal generation circuit 52. For more information, please refer to the description of the NFC tag embodiment shown in FIG1 .

[0074] The following will provide an overall description of the process of the technical solution of this specification in conjunction with a card search timing diagram shown in FIG6 and the signal waveform diagrams shown in FIG7(a), FIG7(b), and FIG7(c).

[0075] By default, the NFC tag is in its initial state, while the reader is in Low Power Card Detection (LPCD) mode, continuously transmitting Low Power Card Detection (LPCD) signals. If the reader approaches the NFC tag, it will sense the presence of the tag and automatically switch from Low Power Card Detection mode to normal card detection mode. As shown in Figure 7(a), the reader performs normal card detection and reading after the second LPCD cycle.

[0076] However, in low-power card detection mode, the card reader device may not be able to correctly sense the presence of the NFC tag nearby, and therefore will continue to send low-power card detection LPCD signals. As shown in Figure 7(b), no successful sensing occurs during multiple consecutive LPCD cycles.

[0077] In this case, the NFC tag executes step 601 to detect signals within a preset detection range; if the NFC tag detects an LPCD signal, step 602 may be continued to determine whether the conditions for sending the excitation signal are met.

[0078] Specifically, step 602 includes steps 6021 and 6022. Step 6021 can be performed first to obtain the signal characteristics of the LPCD signal and determine whether the LPCD signal is emitted by a device that does not belong to the target type. If the LPCD signal is determined to be emitted by a device that does not belong to the target type, step 6022 or step 603 can be performed. Alternatively, step 6022 can be performed first to determine whether an induction signal is present in the NFC coil corresponding to the NFC tag. If the induction signal is not present, step 6021 or step 603 can be performed.

[0079] It should be noted that step 602 and steps 6021 and 6022 included therein are optional steps, and technicians can choose whether to execute these steps according to actual circumstances.

[0080] Afterwards, the NFC tag executes step 603 to generate an excitation signal and continues to execute step 604 to send the excitation signal. The excitation signal sent by the NFC tag will be received by the card reader device, and in response to the excitation signal, step 605 will be executed to switch its own low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode. As shown in Figure 7(c), the card reader device failed to successfully sense the card in the first LPCD cycle, and the NFC tag actively sent an excitation signal. After that, the card reader device performed normal card search and reading. When the card reader device searches for a card in the normal card search mode, the NFC tag will correspondingly send a card search response. After receiving the card search response, the card reader device can establish a communication connection with the NFC tag and exchange data.

[0081] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided by an exemplary embodiment. Referring to FIG8 , at the hardware level, the device includes a processor 802, an internal bus 804, a network interface 806, a memory 808, and a non-volatile memory 810, and may also include hardware required for other functions. One or more embodiments of this specification may be implemented based on software, such as the processor 802 reading the corresponding computer program from the non-volatile memory 810 into the memory 808 and then running it. Of course, in addition to software implementation, one or more embodiments of this specification do not exclude other implementation methods, such as logic devices or a combination of software and hardware, etc., that is, the execution subject of the following processing flow is not limited to each logic unit, but may also be hardware or logic devices.

[0082] Referring to Figure 9, the device for assisting a card reader in achieving card search can be applied to the device shown in Figure 8 to implement the technical solution of this specification. The device for assisting a card reader in achieving card search is applied to an NFC tag and can include a signal detection unit 91, an excitation signal generation unit 92, and an excitation signal transmission unit 93, wherein:

[0083] A signal detection unit 91 is used to detect signals within a preset detection range;

[0084] An excitation signal generating unit 92 is configured to generate an excitation signal when a low power card detection LPCD signal is detected, wherein the LPCD signal is sent by the card reader device in a low power card detection mode;

[0085] The excitation signal sending unit 93 is configured to send the excitation signal to switch the card reader device from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode.

[0086] Optionally, the excitation signal generating unit 92 is specifically configured to:

[0087] Acquiring signal characteristics of the LPCD signal;

[0088] When it is determined based on the signal characteristics that the card reader device that sends the LPCD signal does not belong to the target type of device, the excitation signal is generated; wherein, when the target type of device is in the low-power card detection mode, there is a risk of awakening a preset simulated NFC tag due to receiving the excitation signal.

[0089] Optionally, the signal characteristics of the LPCD signal include at least one of the following: signal interval period, signal size, and signal duration.

[0090] Optionally, the excitation signal generating unit 92 is specifically configured to:

[0091] Determine whether there is an induction signal in the NFC coil corresponding to the NFC tag;

[0092] In the absence of the induction signal, the excitation signal is generated.

[0093] Referring to FIG10 , the card search device can be applied to the device shown in FIG8 to implement the technical solution of this specification. The card search device is applied to a card reader device and can include a signal sending unit 101 and a mode switching unit 102, wherein:

[0094] The signal sending unit 101 is used to send a low power card detection LPCD signal in a low power card detection mode;

[0095] The mode switching unit 102 is configured to switch from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode upon receiving an excitation signal, wherein the excitation signal is sent by the NFC tag upon detecting the LPCD signal.

[0096] For the device embodiment, since it basically corresponds to the method embodiment, the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiment. The device embodiment described above is merely illustrative, wherein the modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement it without paying any creative work.

[0097] Accordingly, this specification also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method described in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0098] Accordingly, an embodiment of this specification also provides a computer program product, which is configured to execute the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0099] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments may be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products having certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer, which may be in the form of a personal computer, laptop computer, cellular phone, camera phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant, media player, navigation device, email transceiver, game console, tablet computer, wearable device, or any combination of these devices.

[0100] In a typical configuration, a computer includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0101] Memory may include non-permanent storage in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0102] Computer-readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be used to store information using any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, disk storage, quantum memory, graphene-based storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transitory media such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0103] It should also be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0104] The foregoing description of this specification describes specific embodiments. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims can be performed in an order different from that described in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order shown or the sequential order to achieve the desired results. In certain embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0105] The terms used in one or more embodiments of this specification are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit one or more embodiments of this specification. The singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" used in one or more embodiments of this specification and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0106] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various information in one or more embodiments of this specification, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of one or more embodiments of this specification, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when..." or "when..." or "in response to determining."

[0107] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of one or more embodiments of this specification and is not intended to limit one or more embodiments of this specification. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of one or more embodiments of this specification shall be included in the scope of protection of one or more embodiments of this specification.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a card reader in finding a card, characterized in that: Applied to NFC tags, including: The NFC coil senses the wireless signal within the preset detection range; Perform analog-to-digital conversion on the sensed analog signal to obtain a digital signal; generating an excitation signal when it is determined that the digital signal corresponds to a low power card detection (LPCD) signal, wherein the LPCD signal is emitted by the card reader device in a low power card detection mode; The excitation signal is sent through the NFC coil to switch the card reader device from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of generating an excitation signal when determining that the digital signal corresponds to a low power consumption card detection (LPCD) signal comprises: Acquiring signal characteristics of the LPCD signal; The excitation signal is generated when it is determined based on the signal characteristics that the card reader device that sends the LPCD signal does not belong to the target type of device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The signal characteristics of the LPCD signal include at least one of the following: signal interval period, signal size, and signal duration.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein In the case of determining that the digital signal corresponds to a low power consumption card detection (LPCD) signal, generating an excitation signal includes: Determine whether there is an induction signal in the NFC coil corresponding to the NFC tag; In the absence of the induction signal, the excitation signal is generated.

5. An NFC tag, characterized in that: include: An NFC coil is configured to sense wireless signals within a preset detection range, wherein the wireless signals include a low-power card detection (LPCD) signal, which is emitted by a card reader device in a low-power card detection mode. An NFC tag chip, connected to the NFC coil, and configured to store written tag data; an analog-to-digital converter, connected to the NFC coil, configured to convert an analog signal sensed by the NFC coil into a digital signal; The excitation module is connected to the analog-to-digital converter and the NFC coil, respectively, and is used to generate an excitation signal and send it through the NFC coil when it is determined that the digital signal corresponds to the LPCD signal, so as to switch the card reader device from the low-power card detection mode to the normal card search mode.

6. The NFC tag according to claim 5, characterized in that The excitation module includes: an NFC card reader chip.

7. The NFC tag according to claim 5, characterized in that The incentive module includes: a controller, connected to the analog-to-digital converter, configured to acquire and identify the digital signal and, if determining that the digital signal corresponds to an LPCD signal, issue an instruction to generate an excitation signal; The signal generating circuit is connected to the controller and the NFC coil respectively, and is configured to generate the excitation signal upon receiving the generation instruction, and send the excitation signal through the NFC coil.

8. The NFC tag according to claim 7, characterized in that The controller is also used for: determining a signal characteristic of the LPCD signal; When it is determined according to the signal characteristics that the card reader device that sends the LPCD signal does not belong to the target type of device, an instruction to generate the excitation signal is issued.

9. The NFC tag according to claim 7, characterized in that The controller is also used to: Determine whether there is an induction signal in the NFC coil corresponding to the NFC tag; In the absence of the induction signal, an instruction to generate the excitation signal is issued.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: processor; a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; The processor implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 by running the executable instructions.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: When the instruction is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 are implemented.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer program / instructions, characterized in that When the computer program / instructions are executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is implemented.

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