Integrated artificial magnetic launch surface for near field communication system
First Claim
1. A module comprising:
- a near field communication (NFC) coupler having a front side and an opposite back side;
a radio frequency (RF) transmitter coupled to the NFC coupler, the RF transmitter configured to generate an RF signal having a frequency;
a substrate on which the NFC coupler is located and on which the RF transmitter is mounted;
an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) surface, proximate the back side of the NFC coupler and separated from the NFC coupler by less than one fourth of a wavelength of the RF signal, the AMC surface positioned to reflect near-field electromagnetic energy having the frequency of the RF signal with essentially zero phase shift; and
a field confiner, proximate the front side of the NFC coupler, the field confiner located to propagate and/or evanescently couple near-field electromagnetic energy emanated from the NFC coupler.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided in which a set of modules each have a substrate on which is mounted a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and/or an RF receiver coupled to a near field communication (NFC) coupler located on the substrate. Each module has a housing that surrounds and encloses the substrate. The housing has a port region on a surface of the housing. Each module has a field confiner located between the NFC coupler and the port region on the housing configured to guide electromagnetic energy emanated from the NFC coupler through the port region to a port region of an adjacent module. An artificial magnetic conductor surface is positioned adjacent the backside of each NFC coupler to reflect back side electromagnetic energy with a phase shift of approximately zero degrees.
121 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A module comprising:
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a near field communication (NFC) coupler having a front side and an opposite back side; a radio frequency (RF) transmitter coupled to the NFC coupler, the RF transmitter configured to generate an RF signal having a frequency; a substrate on which the NFC coupler is located and on which the RF transmitter is mounted; an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) surface, proximate the back side of the NFC coupler and separated from the NFC coupler by less than one fourth of a wavelength of the RF signal, the AMC surface positioned to reflect near-field electromagnetic energy having the frequency of the RF signal with essentially zero phase shift; and a field confiner, proximate the front side of the NFC coupler, the field confiner located to propagate and/or evanescently couple near-field electromagnetic energy emanated from the NFC coupler. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A module comprising:
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a first near field communication (NFC) coupler having a front side and an opposite back side; a second NFC coupler having a front side and an opposite back side; a radio frequency (RF) transmitter coupled to the first NFC coupler; an RF communication circuit coupled to the second NFC coupler; a substrate on which the first and second NFC couplers are located and on which the RF transmitter and the RF communication circuit are mounted; a first artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) surface proximate the back side of the first NFC coupler; a first field confiner, proximate the front side of the first NFC coupler, located to propagate and/or evanescently couple near-field electromagnetic energy emanated from the first NFC coupler; a second AMC surface proximate the back side of the second NFC coupler; and a second field confiner, proximate the front side of the second NFC coupler, located to propagate and/or evanescently couple near-field electromagnetic energy to the RF communication circuit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A module comprising:
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a plurality of transmitters and/or receivers; a first near field communication (NFC) coupler having a front side and an opposite back side, the first NFC coupler coupled to at least one of the transmitters and/or receivers; a second NFC coupler coupled to at least one of the transmitters and/or receivers; a substrate on which the first and second NFC couplers are located and on which the transmitters and/or receivers are mounted; an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) surface proximate the back side of the first NFC coupler and proximate the second NFC coupler; and a field confiner, proximate the front side of the first NFC coupler, located to propagate and/or evanescently couple near-field electromagnetic energy emanated from the first NFC coupler.
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17. A method of transmitting a signal in a system, the method comprising:
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generating a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a module; emanating a first RF electromagnetic field in response to the first RF signal from a first near field communication (NFC) coupler in the module; reflecting a portion of the emanated first RF electromagnetic field using a first artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) surface located proximate the first NFC coupler, such that the reflected portion is not phase shifted; confining and directing the emanated first RF electromagnetic field and the reflected portion of the emanated first RF electromagnetic field by a first field confiner to a first port region in the module; generating a second radio frequency (RF) signal in the module; emanating a second RF electromagnetic field in response to the second RF signal from a second NFC coupler in the module; reflecting a portion of the emanated second RF electromagnetic field using a second AMC surface located proximate the second NFC coupler, such that the reflected portion is not phase shifted; and confining and directing the emanated second RF electromagnetic field and the reflected portion of the emanated second RF electromagnetic field by a second field confiner to a second port region in the module. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification