ANTENNA APPARATUS AND MODULE APPARATUS

• US 20180204104A1
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Published: 07/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: NARUSE, SHUTO
• Granted Patent: US 10,504,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• 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 5/263 Multiple coils at either side

Abstract

[Object] To provide an antenna apparatus which can allow a user to freely select service which utilizes the electromagnetic field communication technology. [Solution] Provided is an antenna apparatus including: a first antenna configured to generate a magnetic field by flow of a current; and a module unit including a second antenna whose opening area is smaller than an opening area of the first antenna and which is able to be electromagnetically coupled with the first antenna, and a module configured to operate by a current generated by the second antenna through electromagnetic coupling between the first antenna and the second antenna. The module unit is able to be attached to and removed from the first antenna.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a first antenna configured to generate a magnetic field by flow of a current; and

a module unit including a second antenna whose opening area is smaller than an opening area of the first antenna and which is able to be electromagnetically coupled with the first antenna, and a module configured to operate by a current generated by the second antenna through electromagnetic coupling between the first antenna and the second antenna,

wherein the module unit is able to be attached to and removed from the first antenna.

2. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the module is a non-contact IC chip which is able to perform non-contact communication with a reader/writer.

3. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the module unit is able to move along the first antenna.

4. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second antenna is wound around the module unit.

5. The antenna apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the second antenna is wound around the module unit with bias provided.

6. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of the module units are provided.

7. The antenna apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a disabling unit configured to independently disable each of the module units.

8. The antenna apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the disabling unit is a switch to disable each of the module units by cutting off the second antenna.

9. The antenna apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the disabling unit disables each of the module units by changing a resonant frequency.

10. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the module unit has a cylindrical shape.

11. The antenna apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein a slit is provided in a longitudinal direction of the module unit.

12. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the module unit has a spherical shape.

13. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first antenna is provided inside a card, and the module unit is able to be attached to and removed from the card.

14. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first antenna generates a current by electromagnetic induction using a radio wave from a reader/writer.

15. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery module configured to generate a current by electromagnetic induction at the first antenna.

16. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a first antenna configured to generate a magnetic field by flow of a current; and

a module unit including a second antenna whose opening area is smaller than an opening area of the first antenna and which is able to be electromagnetically coupled with the first antenna, and a module configured to operate by a current generated by the second antenna through electromagnetic coupling between the first antenna and the second antenna,

wherein an opening portion of the second antenna is provided so as to allow the magnetic field generated by the first antenna to pass.

17. The antenna apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the module is a non-contact IC chip which is able to perform non-contact communication with a reader/writer.

18. A module apparatus comprising:

a second antenna whose opening area is smaller than an opening area of a first antenna configured to generate a magnetic field by flow of a current and which is able to be electromagnetically coupled with the first antenna,

wherein the module apparatus operates by a current generated by the second antenna through electromagnetic coupling with the first antenna, and is able to be attached to and removed from the first antenna.