Wireless pairing using radio frequency identification communications

Abstract

In an example, radio frequency identification communications is used to pair a wireless device and a host computing system for communications over a non-radio frequency identification communications protocol. The wireless device includes a radio frequency identification reader that extracts pairing information from a radio frequency identification tag of the host computing system. The wireless device may then automatically initiate pairing with the host computing system using the pairing information, without further input from a user of the wireless device. A connection is then established between the wireless device and the host computing system using a non-radio frequency identification wireless communication protocol. The connection facilitates an exchange of data between the wireless device and the host computing system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 extracting, by a radio frequency identification reader of a wireless device, pairing information from a first radio frequency identification tag of a first host computing system;   initiating, by the wireless device, pairing of the wireless device with the first host computing system using the pairing information, without further input from a user of the wireless device; and   establishing a connection between the wireless device and the first host computing system using a non-radio frequency identification wireless communication protocol to facilitate an exchange of data between the wireless device and the first host computing system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pairing information comprises a broadcast identifier for the first host computing system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the extracting is triggered by the wireless device being moved within a range of the first radio frequency identification tag. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting, by the radio frequency identification reader of the wireless device, a radio frequency signal emitted by a second radio frequency identification tag of a second host computing system; and   initiating, by the wireless device, pairing of the wireless device with the second host computing system using pairing information encoded in the second radio frequency identification tag, without further input from a user of the wireless device; and   establishing a connection between the wireless device and the second host computing system using a non-radio frequency identification wireless communication protocol to facilitate an exchange of data between the wireless device and the second host computing system.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 terminating the connection between the wireless device and the first host computing system prior to initiating the pairing of the wireless device with the second host computing system.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first radio frequency identification tag is a pre-programmed passive tag. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connection comprises a one-way channel from the first host computing system to the wireless device. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor of a wireless device, the machine-readable storage medium comprising:
 instructions to extract, by a radio frequency identification reader of the wireless device, pairing information from a first radio frequency identification tag of a first host computing system;   instructions to initiate pairing of the wireless device with the first host computing system using the pairing information, without further input from a user of the wireless device; and   instructions to establish a connection between the wireless device and the first host computing system using a non-radio frequency identification wireless communication protocol to facilitate an exchange of data between the wireless device and the first host computing system, wherein the non-radio frequency identification wireless communication protocol is a near-field communications protocol.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the pairing information comprises a broadcast identifier for the first host computing system. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the extracting is triggered by the wireless device being moved within a range of the first radio frequency identification tag. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , further comprising;
 instructions to detect; by the radio frequency identification reader of the wireless device, a radio frequency signal emitted by a second radio frequency identification tag of a second host computing system; and   instructions to initiate pairing of the wireless device with the second host computing system using pairing information encoded in the second radio frequency identification tag, without further input from a user of the wireless device; and   instructions to establish a connection between the wireless device and the second host computing system using a non-radio frequency identification wireless communication protocol to facilitate an exchange of data between the wireless device and the second host computing system.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , further comprising;
 instructions to terminate the connection between the wireless device and the first host computing system prior to initiating the pairing of the wireless device with the second host computing system.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the connection comprises a one-way channel from the first host computing system to the wireless device. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a radio frequency identification reader to extract pairing information from a first radio frequency identification tag of a first host computing system;   a processor to automatically initiate pairing of the apparatus with the first host computing system using the pairing information; and   a wireless communication device to establish a connection between the apparatus and the first host computing system using a non-radio frequency identification wireless communication protocol.  15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the non-radio frequency identification wireless communication protocol is a near-field communications protocol.