COUPLING ASSISTANCE DEVICE AND RFID COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20180102814A1
• Filed: 12/08/2017
• Published: 04/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Yasutake, Makoto, Komaki, Kunihiro, Kato, Noboru
• Granted Patent: US 10,122,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• 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: H01Q 7/06 with core of ferromagnetic material H01Q7/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A coupling assistance device is provided with a base material having a first principal surface, and a planar antenna provided at the base material. Moreover, the first principal surface of the base material has a first region to which a coil antenna of a portable telephone terminal is to be adjacent, and a second region to which a coil antenna of an RFID tag-containing article is to be adjacent. The planar antenna is provided from the first region over to the second region of the base material, and is coupled to the antenna of the portable telephone terminal in the first region and to the antenna of the RFID tag-containing article in the second region.

Claims

1. A coupling assistance device comprising:

a base that includes a first principal surface; and

a planar antenna disposed at the base,

wherein the first principal surface of the base includes;

a first region configured to have a first device with a first antenna placed thereon; and

a second region configured to have a second device with a second antenna placed thereon;

wherein the first region and the second region are positioned at a distance relative to each other such that, when the first antenna is placed adjacent to the first region and the second antenna is placed adjacent to the second region, the first device and the second device are both simultaneously positioned on the first principal surface of the base, and

wherein the planar antenna extends from the first region of the base to the second region of the base, and is communicatively coupled to the first antenna in the first region and the second antenna in the second region when the first and second devices are placed on the first and second regions, respectively.

2. The coupling assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the planar antenna configures at least a portion of a resonance circuit that resonates in a frequency band in which the first device and the second device communicate.

3. The coupling assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising a magnetic layer disposed at a surface of the planar antenna on an opposite side of a surface of the planar antenna to which the first device and the second device are to be adjacent.

4. The coupling assistance device according to claim 1, wherein:

a portion of the planar antenna corresponding to the first region includes a first coil with a winding axis that extends in a normal direction of the first principal surface of the base,

a portion of the planar antenna corresponding to the second region includes a second coil with a winding axis that extends in the normal direction of the first principal surface of the base, and

the planar antenna includes the first coil, the second coil, and a connecting portion connecting the first coil to the second coil.

5. The coupling assistance device according to claim 4, wherein each of the first coil and the second coil is a spiral-shaped coil.

6. The coupling assistance device according to claim 4, wherein an inside diameter of the first coil is less than or equal to one-fourth of an outside diameter of the first coil.

7. The coupling assistance device according to claim 6, wherein the first coil includes a conductor pattern having a line space that is larger than a line width of the conductor pattern.

8. The coupling assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the first and second coils having winding directions such that polarities of an induction current have a same phase when magnetic fluxes penetrating the first and second coils extend in a same direction.

9. The coupling assistance device according to claim 4, wherein an area of a region defined by the connecting portion is smaller than an area of a region in which the first coil is disposed and an area of a region in which the second coil is disposed.

10. The coupling assistance device according to claim 4, further comprising a planar conductor that covers a region between the first coil and the second coil and includes removed portions at positions facing coil openings of the first and second coils, wherein the first and second coils have winding directions such that polarities of an induction current have a same phase when magnetic fluxes penetrating the first and second coils extend in opposite directions.

11. The coupling assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the first coil is larger than the second coil.

12. The coupling assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the base further comprises:

a first fixing portion configured to fix the first device at a position at which the first antenna is adjacent to the first region; and

a second fixing portion configured to fix the second device at a position at which the second antenna is adjacent to the second region.

13. The coupling assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the base includes a flexible member or a hinge member between the first and second regions, wherein the flexible member is configured to adjust an angle between a surface of the first region and a surface of the second region, and wherein the hinge member is configured to fold the first region and the second region.

14. The coupling assistance device according to claim 13, wherein the base configures a flip cover type case that includes an attaching portion configured to attach to the first device and a placing portion configured to have the second device placed thereon.

15. An RFID communication system comprising:

a first device that includes a first antenna;

a second device that includes a second antenna; and

a coupling assistance device configured to communicatively couple to the first antenna and the second antenna, the coupling assistance device including;

a base that includes a first principal surface; and

a planar antenna disposed at the base,

wherein the first principal surface of the base includes;

a first region configured to have the first device placed thereon, and

a second region configured to have the second device placed thereon,

wherein the first region and the second region are positioned at a distance relative to each other such that, when the first antenna is placed adjacent to the first region and the second antenna is placed adjacent to the second region, the first device and the second device are both simultaneously positioned on the first principal surface of the base, and

wherein the planar antenna extends from the first region of the base to the second region of the base, and is communicatively coupled to the first antenna in the first region and the second antenna in the second region when the first and second devices are placed on the first and second regions, respectively.

16. The RFID communication system according to claim 15,

wherein the first device is a portable communication terminal and includes:

a first principal surface;

a second principal surface opposite the first principal surface of the first device; and

a display surface disposed on the first principal surface of the first device;

wherein the first antenna is disposed closer to the second principal surface of the first device than the first principal surface of the first device, and

wherein the first device is configured to be placed on the coupling assistance device such that the second principal surface of the first device faces the first region.

17. The RFID communication system according to claim 16, wherein:

the second device comprises an outline that is smaller than an outline of the first device, and

the second antenna comprises an outline that is smaller than an outline of the first antenna.

18. The RFID communication system according to claim 15, wherein:

a portion of the planar antenna corresponding to the first region includes a first coil with a winding axis that extends in a normal direction of the first principal surface of the base, and

region includes a second coil with a winding axis that extends in the normal direction of the first principal surface of the base.

19. The RFID communication system according to claim 18, wherein:

the planar antenna includes the first coil, the second coil, and a connecting portion that connects the first coil to the second coil, and

an area of a region defined by the connecting portion is smaller than an area of a region in which the first coil is disposed and an area of a region in which the second coil is disposed.

20. The RFID communication system according to claim 18, wherein the first coil comprises an aspect ratio different from an aspect ratio of the first antenna.