Multi-layer antenna

• US 10,430,784 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: He, Yuchu, Rezayee, Afshin, Yan, Haipeng, Bidari, Emad
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US15/692,995
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 343726, 343728, 343793, 343865, 343866
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/22 Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence
• 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: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/75 for isolation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A multi-layer antenna for near-field communications can have a first layer on a top surface of flexible circuit board and a second layer on a bottom surface of the flexible circuit board. The first layer and the second layer can be connected in series by a through connection in the flexible circuit board. The first layer can incorporate a single loop in the shape of a rectangle and the second layer can incorporate a single loop in the shape of a rectangle. The second layer of the antenna can be vertically aligned with the first layer of the antenna and can have current flow in the same direction as the first layer to provide for an increased magnetic flux from the antenna.

Claims

1. A transaction processing device for engaging in near-field communications (NFC) with a wireless transaction device, comprising:

a processing unit configured to output a NFC source signal at two NFC source signal outputs of the processing unit;

NFC transmit circuitry coupled to the processing unit to receive the NFC source signal, wherein the NFC transmit circuitry comprises matching circuitry and filtering circuitry, and wherein the NFC transmit circuitry outputs a transmit signal from two NFC transmit terminals based on the NFC source signal, the matching circuitry, and the filtering circuitry;

a flexible circuit board having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are opposite each other and parallel to each other;

an antenna coupled to the two NFC transmit terminals to transmit the transmit signal, comprising;

a first antenna terminal coupled to a first NFC transmit terminal of the two NFC transmit terminals;

a second antenna terminal coupled to a second NFC transmit terminal of the two NFC transmit terminals;

a top antenna portion located on the top surface of the flexible circuit board, wherein the top antenna portion has a first top end that is coupled to the first antenna terminal and a second top end, wherein the top antenna portion comprises a first circuit path between the first top end and the second top end, the first circuit path having a single loop and a substantially rectangular shape;

a through connection coupled to second top end of the top antenna portion, and wherein the through connection provides a series connection from the second top end to the bottom surface; and

a bottom antenna portion located on the bottom surface of the flexible circuit board, wherein the bottom antenna portion has a first bottom end that is coupled to the through connection and a second bottom end coupled to the second antenna terminal, wherein the bottom antenna portion comprises a second circuit path between the first bottom end and the second bottom end, wherein the shape of the second circuit path is substantially identical to the shape of the first circuit path, and wherein the second circuit path is substantially aligned with the first circuit path.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the NFC transmit circuitry comprises a tuning circuit to adjust a phase the transmit signal in response to a phase difference between the NFC source signal and the transmit signal.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a second through connection coupled to the second bottom end of the bottom antenna portion, wherein the second through connection provides a series connection from the second bottom end to the top surface, and wherein the first antenna terminal and the second antenna terminal are positioned on the top surface of the flexible circuit board and the second antenna terminal is connected in series with the second bottom end by the second through connection.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein a direction of current flow through the first circuit path is identical to a direction of current flow through the second circuit path.

5. An antenna for a near-field communication (NFC) device, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first terminal and a second terminal configured to receive a signal for transmission by the antenna;

a first circuit path connected to the first terminal, the first circuit path positioned on the first surface of the substrate and having a predetermined shape;

a second circuit path connected to the second terminal, the second circuit path positioned on the second surface of the substrate and having the predetermined shape, wherein the second circuit path substantially overlaps the first circuit path on a portion of the second surface that is opposite the first circuit path; and

a through connection positioned in the substrate and extending from the first surface to the second surface, the through connection connected to the first circuit path on the first surface and connected to the second circuit path on the second surface to connect the first circuit path and the second circuit path in series to cause a current to pass through the first circuit path and the second circuit path in the same direction of current flow.

6. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined shape and the second predetermined shape have a quadrilateral shape.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the quadrilateral shape is a rectangle.

8. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the first circuit path has a single loop and the second circuit path has a single loop.

9. The antenna of claim 8, wherein the single loop of the second circuit path is vertically aligned with the single loop of the first circuit path.

10. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the substrate comprises a flexible printed circuit board.

11. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the first terminal is positioned on one of the first surface or the second surface and the second terminal are positioned on one of the first surface and the second surface.

12. The antenna of claim 11, further comprising a second through connection positioned in the substrate and extending from the second surface to the first surface, and wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are positioned on the first surface, and the second through connection connected to the second circuit path on the second surface and connected to the second terminal on the first surface to connect the second circuit path and the second terminal in series.

13. The antenna of claim 5, wherein a direction of current flow through the first circuit path is identical to a direction of current flow through the second circuit path.

14. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other.

15. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the substrate has a predetermined thickness and the predetermined flux pattern is dependent on the predetermined thickness.

16. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the first circuit path has a plurality of loops and the second circuit path has a plurality loops.

17. The antenna of claim 5, further comprises a tuning circuit to adjust a phase of the transmit signal provided to the first terminal and the second terminal.

18. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the distance between the first and the second surface comprises a minimum material thickness for the substrate.

19. A method for transmitting a near-field communications (NFC) signal, comprising:

receiving a NFC source signal from a processing unit;

modifying the NFC source signal with NFC transmit circuitry to generate a transmit signal;

transmitting the transmit signal from the NFC transmit circuitry with an antenna, the antenna comprising a substrate with a first circuit path positioned on a first surface of the substrate and a second circuit path positioned in substantial alignment with the first circuit path on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface, the first circuit path being connected in series with the second circuit path via a through connection; and

increasing a magnetic flux of the transmitted signal by flowing current in a substantially similar direction through both the first circuit path and the second circuit path.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the increasing a magnetic flux of the transmitted signal includes arranging the first circuit path in a single loop and arranging the second circuit path in a single loop.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the single loop of the first circuit path has a first quadrilateral shape and the single loop of the second circuit path has a second quadrilateral shape identical to the first quadrilateral shape.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first quadrilateral shape and the second quadrilateral shape are rectangles.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the increasing a magnetic flux of the transmitted signal includes vertically aligning the first circuit path and the second circuit path.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the increasing a magnetic flux of the transmitted signal includes adjusting a phase of the transmit signal based on a phase difference between the transmit signal and the NFC source signal.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the substrate is a flexible printed circuit board having a thickness and the increasing a magnetic flux of the transmitted signal includes adjusting the transmit signal based on the thickness of the flexible printed circuit board.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the distance between the first and the second surface comprises a minimum material thickness for the substrate.