Modulation of a near-field communication signal

• US 10,198,727 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rezayee, Afshin, Binder, Jason, Bidari, Emad
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Lewis
• Application Number:
  US14/865,789
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits

Abstract

A communication device has a processing unit, a transmit circuit, and an antenna. The processing unit generates a carrier signal and modifies the carrier signal based on a notch modulation procedure having notch delay and a notch width. The notch width is selected based on a desired modulation index. The resulting modulation signal is provided to the transmit circuit, which generates a wireless data signal that is transmitted by the antenna.

Claims

1. A payment reader for communicating with a contactless payment device via a wireless data signal, the payment reader comprising:

an antenna;

a processing unit configured to generate a carrier signal, wherein the processing unit is further configured to modify the carrier signal to generate a modulated signal, wherein the carrier signal is modified based on data to be transmitted to the contactless payment device and a modulation procedure, wherein the modulation procedure comprises a notch modulation procedure having a notch delay and a notch width, and wherein the processing unit is configured to select the notch delay and the notch width to determine a desired modulation index of the wireless data signal;

a transmit circuit configured to receive the modulated signal from the processing unit, generate the wireless data signal based on the modulated signal, and provide the wireless data signal to the antenna, wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the wireless data signal;

a receive circuit configured to receive a modulated wireless carrier signal and provide a received signal that is based on the modulated wireless carrier signal to the processing unit, wherein the modulated wireless carrier signal is based on the carrier signal, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine received data based on the received signal.

2. The payment reader of claim 1, wherein the frequency of the carrier signal is approximately 13.56 MHz and wherein the desired modulation index is approximately 10%.

3. The payment reader of claim 1, wherein the frequency of the carrier signal is approximately 13.56 MHz and wherein the desired modulation index is in a range of 8-14%.

4. The payment reader of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a measured modulation index of the transmitted wireless data signal, compare the measured modulation index to the desired modulation index, and modify the notch width based on the comparison.

5. A communication device comprising:

an antenna;

a processing unit configured to generate a carrier signal, wherein the processing unit is further configured to modify the carrier signal to generate a modulated signal, wherein the carrier signal is modified based on data to be transmitted and a modulation procedure, wherein the modulation procedure comprises a notch modulation procedure having a notch delay and a notch width, and wherein the processing unit is configured to select the notch width and the notch delay based on a desired modulation index of a wireless data signal; and

a transmit circuit configured to receive the modulated signal, generate the wireless data signal based on the modulated signal, and provide the wireless data signal to the antenna, wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the wireless data signal.

6. The communication device of claim 5, further comprising a receive circuit configured to receive a modulated wireless carrier signal and provide a received signal that is based on the modulated wireless carrier signal to the processing unit,

wherein the modulated wireless carrier signal is based on the carrier signal, and

wherein the processing unit is configured to determine received data based on the received signal.

7. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a measured modulation index of the transmitted wireless data signal, compare the measured modulation index to the desired modulation index, and modify the notch width based on the comparison.

8. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the processing unit is configured to modify the notch delay based on the comparison.

9. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the frequency of the carrier signal is approximately 13.56 MHz and wherein the desired modulation index is approximately 10%.

10. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the frequency of the carrier signal is approximately 13.56 MHz and the desired modulation index is in a range of 8-14%.

11. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the transmit circuit comprises:

a voltage boost circuit configured to receive the modulated signal and output an enhanced signal, wherein the waveform of the enhanced signal corresponds to the modulated carrier signal and the voltage of the enhanced signal is greater than the modulated carrier signal; and

a matching network configured to receive the enhanced signal, generate the wireless data signal based on the enhanced signal, and provide the wireless data signal to the antenna.

12. A method for wireless communications comprising:

generating a carrier signal;

selecting a notch width of a notch modulation procedure and a notch delay of the notch modulation procedure, based on a desired modulation index of a wireless data signal;

modulating the carrier signal based on data to be transmitted and the notch modulation procedure;

generating the wireless data signal based on the modulated carrier signal; and

transmitting the wireless data signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a modulated wireless carrier signal;

generating a received signal based on the modulated wireless carrier signal, wherein the modulated wireless carrier signal is based on the carrier signal; and

determining received data based on the received signal.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a measured modulation index of the transmitted wireless data signal;

comparing the measured modulation index to the desired modulation index; and

modifying the notch width based on the comparison.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising modifying the notch delay based on the comparison.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the frequency of the carrier signal is approximately 13.56 MHz and wherein the desired modulation index is approximately 10%.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the frequency of the carrier signal is approximately 13.56 MHz and the desired modulation index is in a range of 8-14%.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein generating a wireless data signal based on the modulated carrier signal comprises:

receiving the modulated carrier signal;

boosting the voltage of the modulated carrier signal to provide an enhanced signal, wherein the waveform of the enhanced signal corresponds to the modulated carrier signal and the voltage of the enhanced signal is greater than the modulated carrier signal; and

generating the wireless data signal based on the enhanced signal.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

generating a carrier signal;

selecting a notch width of a notch modulation procedure and a notch delay of the notch modulation procedure, based on a desired modulation index of a wireless data signal;

modulating the carrier signal based on data to be transmitted and the notch modulation procedure; and

providing the modulated carrier signal to a transmit circuit, wherein the transmit circuit is configured to generate the wireless data signal based on the modulated carrier signal.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a received signal, wherein the received signal is based on a modulated wireless carrier signal and wherein the modulated wireless carrier signal is based on the carrier signal; and

determining received data based on the received signal.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a measured modulation index of the transmitted wireless data signal;

comparing the measured modulation index to the desired modulation index; and

modifying the notch width based on the comparison.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising modifying the notch delay based on the comparison.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the frequency of the carrier signal is approximately 13.56 MHz and wherein the desired modulation index is approximately 10%.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the frequency of the carrier signal is approximately 13.56 MHz and the desired modulation index is in a range of 8-14%.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising providing the modulated carrier signal to a voltage boost circuit of the transmit circuit,

wherein the voltage boost circuit is configured to boost the voltage of the modulated carrier signal to provide an enhanced signal, and

wherein the waveform of the enhanced signal corresponds to the modulated carrier signal and the voltage of the enhanced signal is greater than the modulated carrier signal.