Electronic cord and circuit with a switch for modifying the resonant frequency of a receiver

• US 5,854,481 A
• Filed: 07/31/1996
• Issued: 12/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, S.R.L. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, S.R.L. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Rossi, Domenico, Bardelli, Roberto, Ricotti, Giulio
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Anita Pellman
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRECH, KARL D
• Application Number:
  US08/688,830
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/382, 235/492, 235/493, 327/337
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6874 in a symmetrical configuration

Abstract

A circuit for modifying a resonant frequency of a receiver for radio frequency signals. The receiver includes an inductor connected in parallel with a capacitor. The circuit includes a switch having an additional capacitor connected between two MOS transistors, the switch being connected in parallel with the receiver to add capacitance based on a control of the MOS transistors.

Claims

1. A smart card operable in a purely wireless mode, comprising:

an RF antenna and a tank circuit having a first resonant frequency;

a power supply circuit connected to draw power from said tank circuit, and to provide a power supply voltage therefrom; and

a tank-switching circuit, comprising;

an additional reactance having at least first and second nodes,

first and second field-effect transistors each interposed between a respective one of said nodes and said tank circuit, and

control circuitry connected to turn said first and second transistors both on or both off;

wherein, when said first and second transistors are both on, said tank-switching circuit is structured to shift the first resonant frequency of said RF antenna and said tank circuit to a second resonant frequency which is different from the first resonant frequency.

2. The smart card of claim 1 wherein said power supply circuit comprises a bridge rectifier followed by a capacitor.

3. The smart card of claim 1 wherein said additional reactance comprises a single capacitor.

4. The smart card of claim 1 wherein said RF antenna and said tank circuit comprise an inductance shunted by a capacitor.

5. A smart card operable in a purely wireless mode, comprising:

an RF antenna and a tank circuit having a first resonant frequency;

a power supply circuit connected to draw power from said tank circuit, and to provide a power supply voltage therefrom;

a voltage-boosting circuit connected to draw power from said power supply voltage, and to provide a boosted voltage therefrom; and

a tank-switching circuit, comprising;

an additional reactance having at least first and second nodes,

first and second field-effect transistors of a common conductivity type, each interposed between a respective one of said nodes and said tank circuit, and

control circuitry, powered from said voltage-boosting circuit, and connected to turn said first and second transistors both on or both off;

wherein, when said first and second transistors are both on, said tank-switching circuit is structured to shift the first resonant frequency of said RF antenna and said tank circuit to a second resonant frequency which is different from the first resonant frequency.

6. The smart card of claim 5 wherein said power supply circuit comprises a bridge rectifier followed by a capacitor.

7. The smart card of claim 5 wherein said additional reactance comprises a single capacitor.

8. The smart card of claim 5 wherein said RF antenna and said tank circuit comprise an inductance shunted by a capacitor.

9. A smart card operable in a purely wireless mode, comprising:

an RF antenna and a tank circuit having a first resonant frequency;

a power supply circuit connected to draw power from said tank circuit, and to provide a power supply voltage therefrom; and

a tank-switching circuit, comprising

at least one additional reactance having at least first and second nodes;

first and second field-effect transistors of a common conductivity type, each interposed between a respective one of said nodes and said tank circuit; and

control circuitry, powered from said power supply voltage, and connected, through a level-shifting stage, to turn said first and second transistors both on or both off; and

wherein, when said first and second transistors are both on, said tank-switching circuit is structured to shift the first resonant frequency of said RF antenna and said tank circuit to a second resonant frequency which is different from the first resonant frequency.

10. The smart card of claim 9 wherein said power supply circuit comprises a bridge rectifier followed by a capacitor.

11. The smart card of claim 9 wherein said additional reactance comprises a single capacitor.

12. The smart card of claim 9 wherein said RF antenna and said tank circuit comprise an inductance shunted by a capacitor.

13. A smart card operable in a purely wireless mode, comprising:

an RF antenna and a tank circuit having a first resonant frequency;

a power supply circuit connected to draw power from said tank circuit, and to provide a power supply voltage therefrom; and

a tank-switching circuit, comprising;

a first additional reactance, having a first node thereof connected through a first field-effect transistor of a first conductivity type to a first node of said tank circuit, and a second node thereof connected through a second field-effect transistor of a second conductivity type to a second node of said tank circuit; and

a second additional reactance, having a first node thereof connected through a third field-effect transistor of said second conductivity type to the first node of said tank circuit, and a second node thereof connected through a fourth field-effect transistor of said first conductivity type to the second node of said tank circuit; and

control circuitry connected, through a level-shifting stage, to selectably turn said first, second, third, and fourth transistors on during part of a cycle of said first resonant frequency; and

wherein, when said first second, third, and fourth transistors are on, said tank-switching circuit is structured to shift the first resonant frequency of said RF antenna and said tank circuit to a second resonant frequency which is different from the first resonant frequency.

14. The smart card of claim 13 wherein said power supply circuit comprises a bridge rectifier followed by a capacitor.

15. The smart card of claim 13 wherein said first additional reactance and said second additional reactance each comprise a single capacitor.

16. The smart card of claim 13 wherein said RF antenna and said tank circuit comprise an inductance shunted by a capacitor.

17. A circuit comprising:

a receiver circuit connected between a first node and a second node and being structured to receive a signal having a variable polarity between the first node and the second node; and

an electrically controlled switch structured to couple a first terminal and a second terminal of a first circuit element respectively to said first node and said second node of the receiver circuit, the switch comprising a first MOS transistor and a second MOS transistor having main conduction paths respectively coupled between said first terminal and said first node and between said second terminal and said second node to couple the circuit element to receive the signal.

18. The circuit of claim 17 wherein said first and second transistors each have a channel of an N-type of conductivity and have control terminals coupled together.

19. The circuit of claim 17, further comprising a drive network coupled to drive control terminals of said first and second transistors and powered in particular by a power supply reference of one or both of said first circuit element and said receiver circuit, said receiver circuit comprising an antenna.

20. The circuit of claim 19 wherein said drive network comprises a voltage booster circuit structured to power at least an output stage of the drive network.

21. The circuit of claim 17, further comprising a third MOS transistor and a fourth MOS transistor each having main conduction paths respectively coupled between a first terminal of a second circuit element similar to said first circuit element and said first node and between a second terminal of said second circuit element and said second node;

and

wherein said receiver circuit comprises an antenna.

22. The circuit of claim 21, further comprising a drive network coupled to drive control terminals of said first, second, third and fourth transistors and powered in particular by a power supply reference coupled to said antenna.

23. The circuit of claim 22 wherein said drive network is structured to generate two mutually inverted drive signals.

24. The circuit of claim 21 wherein said first and second transistors are connected in such a manner as to prevent conduction in one or both of said first circuit element and said second circuit element through a parasitic junction in an integrated circuit including the switch.

25. The circuit of claim 21 wherein said first and fourth transistors are p-channel MOS transistors and have control terminals coupled together and said second and third transistors are n-channel MOS transistors and have control terminals coupled together.

26. The circuit of claim 25, further comprising a drive network coupled to drive the control terminals of said first, second, third and fourth transistors and powered in particular by a power supply reference coupled to said antenna.

27. The circuit of claim 17 wherein the switch is structured to couple the first and second terminals of the first circuit element respectively to the first and second nodes that are coupled to receive said variable polarity signal through the receiver circuit, the switch comprising a portion of an integrated circuit.

28. An integrated circuit having a substrate and comprising:

a receiver circuit connected between a first node and a second node and being structured to receive a signal having a variable polarity between the first node and the second node;

an electrically controlled switch structured to couple a first terminal and a second terminal of a circuit element respectively to the first node and the second node of the receiver circuit, the switch comprising a first MOS transistor and a second MOS transistor having main conduction paths respectively coupled between said first terminal and said first node and between said second terminal and said second node; and

a bridge rectifier having first and second indifferent terminals, a positive terminal and a negative terminal, each of the first and second indifferent terminals being coupled to the negative terminal through a respective MOS transistor, said first and second indifferent terminals being coupled respectively to said first and second nodes and said negative terminal being coupled to the substrate.

29. An electronic card comprising:

a resonant circuit for a reception and/or a transmission of signals;

a first electrical network structure to change at least one resonance parameter of said resonant circuit if coupled thereto; and

at least one switch structured to couple first and second terminals of the first electrical network respectively to a first node and a second node of the resonant circuit, the switch comprising a first MOS transistor and a second MOS transistor having main conduction paths respectively coupled between said first terminal and said first node and between said second terminal and said second node, the switch being structured in such a manner as to provide said coupling based on a command.

30. The electronic card of claim 29 wherein said first electrical network comprises a first capacitor and said resonant circuit comprises a parallel connection between the first node and the second node of a second capacitor and an inductor.

31. The electronic card of claim 29 wherein said switch is coupled to receive power from a power supply circuit coupled in parallel with said resonant circuit.

32. The electronic card of claim 31 wherein at least said switch and said power supply circuit comprise a portion of an integrated circuit having a substrate and said power supply circuit comprises a bridge rectifier having first and second indifferent terminals, a positive terminal and a negative terminal, each of the first and second indifferent terminals being coupled to the negative terminal through a respective MOS transistor, said first and second indifferent terminals being coupled respectively to said first and second nodes and said negative terminal being coupled to the substrate of said integrated circuit.

33. An integrated circuit in a substrate comprising:

an input antenna having first and second input nodes and structured to receive variable polarity signals;

a first MOS transistor having a main conduction path coupled between said first input node and a first output node;

a second MOS transistor having a main conduction path coupled between said second input node and a second output node; and

a two-terminal circuit element connected between said first and second output nodes and being structured to be coupled to the input antenna through the first and second MOS transistors.

34. The integrated circuit of claim 33, further comprising a bridge rectifier having first and second indifferent terminals, a positive terminal and a negative terminal, each of the first and second indifferent terminals being coupled to the negative terminal through a respective MOS transistor, said first and second indifferent terminals being coupled respectively to said first and second nodes and said negative terminal being coupled to the substrate.