Mobile phone wallet

• US 10,250,299 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2018
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Bimbaud, Igor, Colleoni, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US16/004,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20180294845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0704 the battery being rechargeable, e.g. solar batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks

Abstract

A case includes a base for receiving a portable phone and a flap hinged to the base and including a housing configured to receive a microcircuit card. A first contactless communication antenna is provided in the flap for coupling to an antenna of the microcircuit card. A second contactless communication antenna is provided in the base for coupling to an antenna of the portable phone. The first and second first contactless communication antennae are electrically connected to each other.

Claims

1. A case, comprising:

a first portion configured to receive a first device having a first contactless communication antenna;

a second portion coupled to the first portion, the second portion including;

a first housing configured to receive a second device having a second contactless communication antenna; and

a third contactless communication antenna configured to couple with the second device;

wherein the first portion includes a fourth contactless communication antenna configured to couple with the received second device, the fourth contactless communication antenna being electrically connected to the third contactless communication antenna such that the second device harvests power from transmissions made by the first device using its first contactless communication antenna.

2. The case of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth contactless communication antennas are configured for near field communications (NFC).

3. The case of claim 1, wherein the second portion includes a second housing configured to receive a third device having a fifth contactless communication antenna.

4. The case of claim 3, wherein the second portion also includes a sixth contactless communication antenna configured to couple with the received third device;

and wherein the fourth contactless communication antenna is electrically connected to the sixth contactless communication antenna such that the third device harvests power from transmissions made by the first device using its first contactless communication antenna.

5. The case of claim 4, wherein the third contactless communication antenna and the sixth contactless communication antenna are electrically coupled in series.

6. The case of claim 5, wherein the third contactless communication antenna and the sixth contactless communication antenna do not physically overlap.

7. The case of claim 4, wherein the third contactless communication antenna and the sixth contactless communication antenna are electrically coupled in parallel.

8. The case of claim 1, wherein the first device is a portable phone and the second device is a card including a battery, said battery being charged by the harvested power.

9. The case of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions are coupled to one another by a connecting portion.

10. The case of claim 9, wherein the third and fourth contactless communication antennas are electrically coupled by an electrical connection that runs through the connecting portion.

11. The case of claim 10, wherein the electrical connection between the third contactless communication antenna and the fourth contactless communication antenna facilitates data communications between the first device and the second device.

12. A case, comprising:

a base having first and second opposing sides and first and second opposing ends, the first and second opposing sides being longer than the first and second opposing ends;

wherein the base is configured to receive a portable device having a first near field communications (NFC) antenna;

a second NFC antenna associated with the base;

a flap having first and second opposing sides and first and second opposing ends, the first and second opposing sides of the flap being longer than the first and second opposing ends of the flap;

a pouch associated with the flap and dimensioned to receive and retain a microcircuit card having a battery and a third NFC antenna;

a fourth NFC antenna associated with the flap;

a hinge coupling the second side of the flap to the first side of the base; and

an electrical connection extending from the second NFC antenna to the fourth NFC antenna;

wherein NFC transmissions made by the portable device via the first NFC antenna induce current in the second NFC antenna, which is then passed to the fourth NFC antenna via the electrical connection, resulting in NFC transmissions by the fourth NFC antenna; and

wherein the NFC transmissions by the fourth NFC antenna induce current in the third NFC antenna, which is harvested by the microcircuit card to charge the battery.

13. The case of claim 12, second NFC antenna and fourth NFC antenna have a same number of turns, a same surface area, and a same impedance.

14. The case of claim 12, wherein the electrical connection has a capacitive element associated therewith configured to cause the fourth NFC antenna to resonate at a frequency used for NFC communications.

15. The case of claim 12, wherein a surface of the flap that does not face the base has a metal plate associated therewith, the metal plate configured to shield the third NFC antenna from communications with antennas other than the first, second, and fourth NFC antennas.

16. A case, comprising:

a base having first and second opposing sides and first and second opposing ends, the first and second opposing sides being longer than the first and second opposing ends;

wherein the base is configured to receive a portable device having a first near field communications (NFC) antenna;

a second NFC antenna associated with the base;

a flap having first and second opposing sides and first and second opposing ends, the first and second opposing sides of the flap being longer than the first and second opposing ends of the flap;

a first pouch associated with the flap and dimensioned to receive and retain a first microcircuit card having a battery and a third NFC antenna;

a fourth NFC antenna associated with the flap and positioned adjacent the first pouch;

a second pouch associated with the flap to receive and retain a second microcircuit card having a fifth NFC antenna;

a sixth NFC antenna associated with the flap and positioned adjacent the second pouch;

a hinge coupling the second side of the flap to the first side of the base;

a first electrical connection electrically coupling the fourth and sixth NFC antennas to one another; and

a second electrical connection extending from the second NFC antenna to the first electrical connection.

17. The case of claim 16, wherein the first electrical connection electrically couples the first and sixth NFC antennas to one another in series.

18. The case of claim 17, wherein the second electrical connection includes an impedance element matching impedance of the second electrical connection to impedance of the first electrical connection.

19. The case of claim 16, wherein the first electrical connection electrically couples the first and sixth NFC antennas to one another in parallel.

20. The case of claim 19, wherein the second electrical connection includes an impedance element matching impedance of the second electrical connection to impedance of the first electrical connection.

21. A case, comprising:

a base configured to receive a portable device; and

a flap coupled to the base, wherein the flap includes;

a housing configured to receive a microcircuit card that includes a battery and an antenna; and

at least one first contactless communication antenna configured to couple with the received microcircuit card;

wherein the base comprises a second contactless communication antenna configured to couple with the received portable device for the transfer of energy from an antenna of received portable device, the second contactless communication antenna being electrically connected to the at least one first contactless communication antenna with said energy further passing through the first contactless communication antenna and the antenna of the microcircuit card to charge said battery.

22. The case according to claim 21, wherein the flap includes an inside surface facing the base when the flap is closed over the base, and wherein the at least one housing is accessible from the inside surface of the flap.

23. The case according to claim 21, wherein the flap includes an outside surface, and wherein the at least one housing is accessible from the outside surface of the flap.

24. The case according to claim 21, wherein the housing is accessible via a slot configured to permit insertion of the microcircuit card.

25. The case according to claim 21, wherein the base is configured to receive the portable device in a position where a face of the portable device carrying a third contactless communication antenna faces the second contactless communication antenna.

26. The case according to claim 21, wherein the at least one first contactless communication antenna is configured to face an antenna of the received microcircuit card.

27. The case according to claim 21, wherein the electrical connection between the at least one first contactless communication antenna first and the second contactless communication antenna passes through a hinge linking the flap to the base of the case.

28. The case according to claim 21, wherein a thickness of the base houses the second contactless communication antenna and a thickness of the flap houses the at least one first contactless communication antenna.

29. The case according to claim 21, wherein the at least one first contactless communication antenna and the second contactless communication antenna are both formed by flat conducting windings.

30. The case according to claim 21, wherein the flap further includes a metal plate positioned between an outer surface of the flap and the at least one first contactless communication antenna.

31. The case according to claim 21, further including at least one housing accessible from the inside of the flap and at least one housing accessible from the outside of the flap.

32. The case according to claim 21, wherein the portable device is a portable phone.