SWITCHING BETWEEN MULTIPLE COUPLING MODES

• US 20100311326A1
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Corroy, Steven, Klabunde, Karin, Gallo, Francesco, Baldus, Heribert
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/28 using the near field of leaky cables, e.g. of leaky coaxial cables
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

A device for transmitting in multiple coupling modes has a transmission module (11), at least one periphery module (18), and an antenna (16, 17) for each of the multiple coupling modes. Further, in a method of switching between multiple coupling modes, switching is conducted between at least polling and listening phases of first and second coupling modes. The device and the method enable a seamless switching between e.g. a near field communication and a body coupled communication. Such a coupling or switching is particularly useful for performing secure transactions whereby through body coupled communication a body-worn tag is interrogated which provides a secure code for a transaction initiated through near field communication with a transaction terminal.

Claims

1. Device for transmitting in multiple coupling modes, comprising:

a transmission module (11),

at least one periphery module (18), and

a first antenna (16) for a first coupling mode of the multiple coupling modes and a second antenna (17) for a second coupling mode of the multiple coupling modes.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one periphery module (18) comprises:

a receiver circuit (12),

a filter (13), and

a matching module (14).

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the matching module comprises at least one matching circuit for at least one of the multiple coupling modes.

4. Device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one periphery module (18) is configured for each of the multiple coupling modes by comprising:

a receiver circuit for each of the multiple coupling modes,

a filter for each of the multiple coupling modes, and

a matching circuit for each of the multiple coupling modes.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling mode is an inductive coupling mode, and the second coupling mode is a capacitive coupling mode.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the inductive coupling mode is used for near field communication, and the capacitive coupling mode is used for body coupled communication.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission module (11) and the at least one periphery module (18) are integrated in a single module.

8. Apparatus comprising a device as claimed in claim 1.

9. Method of switching between multiple coupling modes, wherein switching is conducted between at least polling and listening phases of first and second coupling modes.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the switching is conducted periodically.

11. Method according to claim 9, wherein the first coupling mode is an inductive coupling mode, and the second coupling mode is a capacitive coupling mode.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein in the polling phase of the inductive coupling mode one or more of multiple inductive coupling mechanisms are polled.

13. Method according to claim 11, wherein in the listening phase of the inductive coupling mode answers from multiple inductive coupling mechanisms are received.

14. Method according to claim 9, wherein the listening phase and the polling phase of at least one of the first and second coupling modes occur alternatively.

15. Method according to claim 9, wherein the time of the polling phase and the listening phase of the first coupling mode equals the time of the polling phase and the listening phase of the second coupling mode.

16. Method according to claim 11, wherein the inductive coupling mode is used for near field communication, and the capacitive coupling mode is used for body coupled communication.

17. Computer program comprising program code means for causing a computer to carry out the steps of a method according to claim 9 when the computer program is run on a computer.

18. A computer program product comprising a machine-readable medium storing a computer program according to claim 17.