Communication system and communication apparatus

• US 7,750,851 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Washiro, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; HoangAnh T
• Application Number:
  US11/838,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/850, 343/852, 343/853
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A communication system includes the following elements: a transmitter including a transmission circuit unit configured to generate an RF signal for transmitting data and an EFC antenna configured to transmit the RF signal as an electrostatic field or an induced electric field; and a receiver including an EFC antenna and a reception circuit unit configured to receive and process the RF signal received by the EFC antenna. The EFC antennas of the transmitter and the receiver each include a coupling electrode and a resonating section including a distributed-constant circuit configured to strengthen electrical coupling between the coupling electrodes. The RF signal is transmitted by electric-field coupling between the EFC antennas, facing each other, of the transmitter and the receiver.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a communication circuit unit configured to process a radio-frequency signal for transmitting data; and

an electric-field-coupling antenna configured to establish electric-field coupling to a communication partner facing the communication apparatus at a very short distance,

wherein the electric-field-coupling antenna includes a coupling electrode and a resonating section including a distributed-constant circuit configured to strengthen electrical coupling between the coupling electrode of the communication apparatus and a coupling electrode of the communication partner, the electric-field-coupling antenna being mounted on a printed circuit board on which a circuit module constituting the communication circuit unit configured to process the radio-frequency signal for transmitting data is provided, and

wherein the radio-frequency signal is transmitted by electric-field coupling to an electric-field-coupling antenna of the communication partner.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distributed-constant circuit is configured as a stub including a conductive pattern disposed on the printed circuit board, and

wherein ground is formed on another surface of the printed circuit board, a tip portion of the stub being connected to the ground via a through hole provided in the printed circuit board.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the stub has a length approximately one-half the wavelength of an operating frequency, and the coupling electrode is disposed substantially at the center of the stub.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the coupling electrode includes a conductive pattern evaporated on a surface of an insulating spacer, and, in the case where the spacer is mounted on the printed circuit board, the conductive pattern of the coupling electrode is connected substantially to the center of the stub via a through hole in the spacer.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the stub has a folding shape accommodated in an area occupied by the spacer mounted on the printed circuit board, and the stub has a length approximately one-half the wavelength of an operating frequency.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the stub includes a conductive pattern evaporated on another surface of the spacer.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of electric-field-coupling antennas is connected to the communication circuit unit on the printed circuit board.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a signal line connecting between the electric-field-coupling antennas has a length that is an integral multiple of one-half the wavelength.