Near field communication antenna and mobile device

• US 7,688,270 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsushima, Takaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; HoangAnh T
• Application Number:
  US12/036,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 343/741, 343/742, 343/718, 343/788, 343/702, 343/787
• US Class Current: 343/788
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/10 using reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/06 with core of ferromagnetic material H01Q7/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/08 Ferrite rod or like elongated core
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling

Abstract

An NFC antenna (“NFC” stands for “near field communication”) includes a ferrite antenna including a primary antenna coil wound on a ferrite core of the ferrite antenna; a loop coil provided in a position where components of a magnetic flux on a non-communication direction side interlink, the magnetic flux being generated by the ferrite antenna; and a loop coil switching unit for switching between a mode for forming a loop of the loop coil and a mode for disconnecting the loop.

Claims

1. A near field communication (NFC) antenna comprising:

a ferrite antenna including a primary antenna coil wound on a ferrite core of the ferrite antenna;

a loop coil provided on a side of the ferrite antenna in a position where the loop coil is interlinked with magnetic flux generated by the ferrite antenna;

a loop coil switching unit configured to switch between a mode for forming a loop of the loop coil and a mode for disconnecting the loop;

a correction coil wound on the ferrite core to correct for a resonant frequency, which varies depending on the modes for connecting and disconnecting the loop of the loop coil, the modes being set by the loop coil switching unit; and

a correction coil switching unit configured to switch between a mode for connecting the correction coil and a mode for disconnecting the correction coil to operate in association with switching by the loop coil switching unit between the modes for forming and disconnecting the loop of the loop coil.

2. The NFC antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the loop coil switching unit is a manual switch.

3. The NFC antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the loop coil switching unit and the correction coil switching unit are configured from a double pole switch.

4. The NFC antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the loop coil switching unit is an electronic switch.

5. The NFC antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the loop coil switching unit and the correction coil switching unit are each configured from an electronic switch.

6. A mobile device comprising:

an NFC communication portion, wherein an NEC antenna of the NEC communication portion includes,

a ferrite antenna including a primary antenna coil wound on a ferrite core of the ferrite antenna;

a loop coil provided on a side of the ferrite antenna in a position where the loop coil is interlinked with magnetic flux generated by the ferrite antenna;

a loop coil switching unit configured to switch between a mode for forming a loop of the loop coil and a mode for disconnecting the loop;

a correction coil wound on the ferrite core to correct for a resonant frequency, which varies depending on the modes for connecting and disconnecting the loop of the loop coil, the modes being set by the loop coil switching unit; and

a correction coil switching unit configured to switch between a mode for connecting the correction coil and a mode for disconnecting the correction coil to operate in association with switching by the loop coil switching unit between the modes for forming and disconnecting the loop of the loop coil.

7. The mobile device as claimed in claim 6, wherein

the loop coil switching unit is an electronic switch;

and

the mobile device further comprises

a control unit configured to perform control such that, when a function using the NFC communication portion is activated, the loop coil switching unit is set to a mode for disconnecting the loop of the loop coil.

8. A mobile device comprising:

an NFC communication portion, wherein an NFC antenna of the NFC communication portion includes,

a ferrite antenna including a primary antenna coil wound on a ferrite core of the ferrite antenna,

a loop coil provided on a side of the ferrite antenna in a position where the loop coil is interlinked with magnetic flux generated by the ferrite antenna;

a loop coil switching unit configured to switch between a mode for forming a loop of the loop coil and a mode for disconnecting the loop, wherein the loop coil switching unit is an electronic switch;

a detector unit configured to detect a state where a reception level of the NFC antenna is higher than a predetermined level; and

a control unit configured to control the loop coil switching unit to switch to a mode for disconnecting the loop of the loop coil when the detector unit has detected a state where the reception level of the NFC antenna is higher than a predetermined level.