CONTACTLESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20090224058A1
• Filed: 02/10/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Inventors: SAVRY, Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 8,141,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/072 the record carrier comprising a plurality of integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

The invention relates to a device comprising a first inductive antenna and a plurality of chips, each comprising an integrated circuit and a second inductive antenna used to power and communicate with said integrated circuit. According to the invention, one chip amongst the plurality of chips is capable of being connected to first inductive antenna. In addition, the device comprises a third inductive antenna which is inductively coupled to each of the second antennas of the plurality of chips.

Claims

1. Device comprising:

a first inductive antenna; and

a plurality of chips each comprising an integrated circuit and a second inductive antenna for supplying power and communicating with said integrated circuit,

wherein one chip amongst the plurality of chips is capable of being connected to the first inductive antenna and wherein the device also comprises a third inductive antenna which is inductively coupled to each of the second antennas of the plurality of chips.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one chip amongst the plurality of chips is electrically connected to said first inductive antenna.

3. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein inductive coupling between the second antennas and the third antenna is capable of making it possible to produce a nominal supply voltage in each chip that is sufficient for operation of the integrated circuit in each chip.

4. Device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein each of the second antennas of the plurality of chips forms at least one inductive loop,

wherein the third antenna forms at least one inductive loop,

and wherein the surface defined by the second antenna is back to back with the surface defined by the third antenna.

5. Device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the third antenna is twisted so as to define elementary surface areas that are respectively back to back with the second antennas of the plurality of chips.

6. Device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the device is a smart card and wherein the third antenna is twisted in the plane of the card.

7. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third antenna is bent and twisted so as to define elementary surface areas that are respectively wrapped around the second antennas of the plurality of chips.

8. Device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the device is a smart card and in that the third antenna is bent in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the card.

9. Device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the surface defined by the third antenna substantially equals the total surface area defined by the second antennas of the plurality of chips.

10. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is capable of communicating with its external environment via first antenna over a first communication channel and in that chips are capable of communicating with each other via third antenna over a second communication channel which is different to the first communication channel.

11. Device as claimed in claim 8, wherein chip which is capable of being connected to first antenna comprises a module for rectifying the signal received on first antenna and a module for selecting a frequency range of the rectified signal with the rectified and filtered signal forming a carrier for the second communication channel.