Antenna apparatuses and approaches therefor

• US 10,270,167 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Robert, Harald, Mastela, Dariusz, Antonetti, Francesco
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US15/053,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20170250469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/30 Arrangements for providing operation on different wavebands
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/43 Antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to an antenna, various implementations and methods therefor. Various embodiments are amenable to implementation with a receiver circuit that harvests power using energy from a radio frequency (RF) signal received, and a near-field communication (NFC) circuit. A first antenna collects and presents the RF signal to the receiver circuit, and a second antenna communicates NFC signals for the NFC circuit using an antenna portion shared with the first antenna.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver circuit configured and arranged to output power using energy from a radio frequency (RF) signal received across respective terminals at a first frequency;

a near-field communication (NFC) circuit configured and arranged to communicate via NFC signals via respective terminals at a second frequency that is different than the first frequency;

a first antenna having windings connected in series with the terminals of the receiver circuit, the first antenna being configured and arranged to collect the RF signal at the first frequency and present the RF signal to the receiver circuit; and

a second antenna having;

a first set of windings connected to a first one of the terminals of the NFC circuit and to one of the windings of the first antenna,

a second set of windings connected to a second one of the terminals of the NFC circuit and to another one of the windings of the first antenna, and

the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings being connected in series between the terminals of the NFC circuit and configured and arranged to communicate the NFC signals with the NFC circuit at the second frequency,

wherein the receiver circuit is configured and arranged to output the power by rectifying and regulating power from the RF signal received across the terminals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected are configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit from the second antenna.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected being configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit by preventing the NFC signals from reaching the receiver circuit.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected are configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit from the second antenna by generating a signal in the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected, which cancels a signal generated in other windings of the first antenna.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second antenna is configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit from the NFC signals by providing a voltage drop across the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected that is opposite in polarity to a voltage drop generated across other windings of the first antenna by the NFC signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the receiver circuit includes a first matching circuit configured and arranged to match an impedance of the first antenna between the respective terminals of the receiver circuit at the first frequency;

and

the NFC circuit includes a second matching circuit configured and arranged to match to an impedance of the second antenna between the respective terminals of the NFC circuit at the second frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected are configured and arranged to RF decouple the first matching circuit from the second matching circuit in response to the second antenna receiving the NFC signals at the second frequency.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the impedance of the second antenna includes impedance provided by the first set of windings, the second set of windings, and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the impedance of the first antenna is different than the impedance of the second antenna.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected are configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit from the NFC signals at the second frequency by flowing current in the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected that mitigates current flow to the receiver circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first antenna is configured and arranged to couple energy from the RF signal to the receiver circuit by flowing current through the windings of the first antenna in a first direction, and

the second antenna is configured and arranged to collect and couple the NFC signals to the NFC circuit by flowing current through the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver circuit is a wireless power circuit configured and arranged to utilize the first antenna as a transformer winding to receive wireless power from a remote wireless power source that transmits the RF signal to the first antenna.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver circuit configured and arranged to output power using energy from a radio frequency (RF) signal received across respective terminals at a first frequency;

a near-field communication (NFC) circuit configured and arranged to communicate via NFC signals via respective terminals at a second frequency that is different than the first frequency;

a first antenna having windings connected in series with the terminals of the receiver circuit, the first antenna being configured and arranged to collect the RF signal at the first frequency and present the RF signal to the receiver circuit; and

a second antenna having;

a first set of windings connected to a first one of the terminals of the NFC circuit and to one of the windings of the first antenna,

a second set of windings connected to a second one of the terminals of the NFC circuit and to another one of the windings of the first antenna, and

the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings being connected in series between the terminals of the NFC circuit and configured and arranged to communicate the NFC signals with the NFC circuit at the second frequency,

wherein the first antenna is configured and arranged to couple energy from the RF signal to the receiver circuit by flowing current through the windings of the first antenna in a first direction,

wherein the second antenna is configured and arranged to collect and couple the NFC signals to the NFC circuit by flowing current through the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected are configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit from the second antenna.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected being configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit by preventing the NFC signals from reaching the receiver circuit.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected are configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit from the second antenna by generating a signal in the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected, which cancels a signal generated in other windings of the first antenna.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver circuit configured and arranged to output power using energy from a radio frequency (RF) signal received across respective terminals at a first frequency;

a near-field communication (NFC) circuit configured and arranged to communicate via NFC signals via respective terminals at a second frequency that is different than the first frequency;

a first antenna having windings connected in series with the terminals of the receiver circuit, the first antenna being configured and arranged to collect the RF signal at the first frequency and present the RF signal to the receiver circuit; and

a second antenna having;

a first set of windings connected to a first one of the terminals of the NFC circuit and to one of the windings of the first antenna,

a second set of windings connected to a second one of the terminals of the NFC circuit and to another one of the windings of the first antenna, and

the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings being connected in series between the terminals of the NFC circuit and configured and arranged to communicate the NFC signals with the NFC circuit at the second frequency,

wherein the receiver circuit is a wireless power circuit configured and arranged to utilize the first antenna as a transformer winding to receive wireless power from a remote wireless power source that transmits the RF signal to the first antenna.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected are configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit from the second antenna.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected being configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit by preventing the NFC signals from reaching the receiver circuit.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first and second sets of windings and the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected are configured and arranged to RF decouple the receiver circuit from the second antenna by generating a signal in the windings of the first antenna to which the first and second sets of windings are connected, which cancels a signal generated in other windings of the first antenna.