COUPLER AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110070831A1
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Nagai, Takuya
• Application Number:
  US12/873,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070831A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• 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

Abstract

There are provided a coupler and a communication system including a primary antenna; and the coupler provided between the primary antenna and a plurality of secondary antennas. The coupler includes a substrate which configures a coupler main body, a first coil antenna which is connected to a first secondary antenna and provided on a first surface side of the substrate, and a second coil antenna which is connected to a second secondary antenna and provided on a second surface side of the substrate. The first coil antenna and the second coil antenna are configured so as to have a same degree of electromagnetic coupling with respect to the primary antenna.

Claims

1. A coupler to be provided between a primary antenna provided in a communication device and a plurality of secondary antennas, the coupler comprising:

a substrate which configures a coupler main body;

a first coil antenna which is connected to a first secondary antenna and provided on a first surface side of the substrate; and

a second coil antenna which is connected to a second secondary antenna and provided on a second surface side of the substrate,

wherein the first coil antenna and the second coil antenna are configured so as to have a same degree of electromagnetic coupling with respect to the primary antenna.

2. The coupler according to claim 1,

wherein the coupler is configured to be mounted on the communication device such that the first surface side provided with the first coil antenna is closer to the primary antenna than the second surface side provided with the second coil antenna,

wherein at least (i) an opening area of the first coil antenna is smaller than an opening area of the second coil antenna, or (ii) a number of windings of the first coil antenna is smaller than a number or windings of the second coil antenna.

3. The coupler according to claim 2, further comprising:

a window portion formed inside an opening of the first coil antenna and an opening of the second coil antenna, and

wherein the window portion is formed such that an entire of a display unit provided on the communication device is exposed through the window portion when the coupler is mounted on the communication device while the first surface is closer to the primary antenna than the second surface, and that a part of the display unit is not exposed though the window portion when the coupler is mounted on the communication device while the first surface is further to the primary antenna than the second surface.

4. A coupler to be provided between a primary antenna provided in a communication device and a plurality of secondary antennas, the coupler comprising:

a substrate which configures a coupler main body and includes a first surface and a second surface;

a first coil antenna which is connected to a first secondary antenna and includes a first portion provided on the first surface side and a second portion provided on the second surface side; and

a second coil antenna which is connected to a second secondary antenna and includes a first portion provided on the first surface side and a second portion provided on the second surface side,

wherein the first coil antenna and the second coil antenna are configured so as to have a same degree of electromagnetic coupling with respect to the primary antenna.

5. The coupler according to claim 4,

wherein the first portion of the first coil antenna and the first portion of the second coil antenna have a substantially same number of windings and a substantially same opening area, and

wherein the second portion of the first coil antenna and the second portion of the second coil antenna have a substantially same number of windings and a substantially same opening area.

6. A communication system comprising:

a communication device including a primary antenna configured to transmit and receive information; and

a coupler provided between the primary antenna and a plurality of secondary antennas,

wherein the coupler including;

a substrate which configures a coupler main body;

a first coil antenna which is connected to a first secondary antenna and provided on a first surface side of the substrate; and

a second coil antenna which is connected to a second secondary antenna and provided on a second surface side of the substrate,

wherein the first coil antenna and the second coil antenna are configured so as to have a same degree of electromagnetic coupling with respect to the primary antenna.

7. The communication system according to claim 6,

wherein the coupler is configured to be mounted on the communication device such that the first surface side provided with coil antenna is closer to the primary antenna than the second surface side provided with the second coil antenna,

wherein at least (i) an opening area of the first coil antenna is smaller than an opening area of the second coil antenna or (ii) a number of windings of the first coil antenna is smaller than a number of windings of the second coil antenna,

wherein the coupler further includes a window portion formed inside art opening of the first coil antenna and an opening of the second coil antenna, and

wherein the window portion is formed such that an entire of a display unit provided on the communication device is exposed through the window portion when the coupler is mounted on the communication device while the first surface is closer to the primary antenna than the second surface, and that a part of the display unit is not exposed though the window portion when the coupler is mounted on the communication device while the first surface is further to the primary antenna than the second surface.