Chip module, sim card, wireless device and wireless communication method

• US 8,196,829 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2007
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fractus SA
• Original Assignee: Fractus SA
• Inventors: Baliarda, Carles Puente, Castany, Jordi Soler
• Primary Examiner(s): Trail, Allyson
• Application Number:
  US12/308,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20100019038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/439
• US Class Current: 235/439
• 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: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6611 Wire connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6627 Waveguides, e.g. microstrip line, strip line, coplanar line
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0093 having a fractal shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

The invention refers to a chip module comprising at least one memory and/or microprocessor chip and at least one antenna element connected to said chip. Further the invention relates to a SIM card comprising a dielectric substrate, eight or more contact pads provided on one side of said dielectric substrate, at least one memory and/or microprocessor chip provided on the other side of the substrate and connected to said contact pads, a first antenna element provided on the same side of the dielectric substrate as the chip, wherein the first antenna element has at least one driving point and at least one termination point, a second antenna element provided on the same side of the dielectric substrate as the first antenna element, wherein the first antenna element is given in an area different from the area where the contact pads are arranged, and the chip can be accessed by a wireless communication link with help of the antenna operating at a frequency of more than 800 MHz.

Claims

1. A chip module comprising:

a chip having at least one of memory and microprocessor functionalities;

a radiofrequency circuit;

at least one antenna element having a driving point and being connected to an RF-terminal of the radiofrequency circuit;

contact means operable to connect the chip directly through direct electric contact, the contact means comprising contact pads accessible from an outside of the chip module;

at least one dielectric substrate on which the chip, the radiofrequency circuit, the at least one antenna element, and the contact means are arranged;

wherein the driving point is separated from an edge of the chip module by at least 1 mm but not more than 11 mm;

wherein the chip module is essentially rectangular;

wherein the at least one antenna element is completely arranged in a half of the chip module where a major portion of the contact pads does not exist when considering the essentially rectangular shape divided in two equal portions by a line extending parallel to a short edge of a rectangle.

2. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna element is located in an area where there are no contact means or contact pads.

3. The chip module of claim 1, wherein in a view perpendicular to a plane of the chip module, the contact means or contact pads do not overlap with the at least one antenna element.

4. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna element comprises a conductive pattern which is provided in two or more planes of the at least one dielectric substrate, while a plurality of the two or more planes are preferably parallel to each other.

5. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the driving point is located not further away from the RF-terminal of the radiofrequency circuit than 50 percent of a largest extension of the chip module.

6. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the driving point is provided in a half of the chip module where a major portion of the contact pads exist when considering the essentially rectangular shape divided in two equal portions by a line extending parallel to a long edge of a rectangle.

7. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna element includes at least one connection to a radio frequency ground.

8. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna element comprises at least one termination point.

9. The chip module of claim 8, wherein the chip module comprises four areas separated by at least two straight lines crossing in a middle of a rectangle;

wherein a first line of the at least two straight lines being parallel to a short edge and a second line of the at least two straight lines being parallel to a long edge of the rectangle;

wherein at least one of the four areas contains a major portion of a contact pad area; and

wherein the at least one termination point is provided in an area diagonally opposite to the contact pad area.

10. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna element comprises a conductive pattern, and wherein at least a portion of the conductive pattern is provided on a plane of the at least one dielectric substrate that is in common with a plane of the contact means or contact pads.

11. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna element comprises a first antenna element and a second antenna element, wherein the second antenna element is provided on a same surface of the at least one dielectric substrate as the chip.

12. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the chip module comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card.

13. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the chip module comprises at least one of a microprocessor and a radio frequency chip, the chip module being capable of generating and/or receiving radio frequency signals which can be fed to the at least one antenna element.

14. The chip module of claim 1, further comprising:

a second antenna element;

wherein the second antenna element is operable to perform a functionality selected from the list consisting of a ground plane, a ground counterpoise, an arm of a dipole antenna, and combination thereof; and

wherein the second antenna element is connected to at least one of the RF-terminal of the radiofrequency circuit, a ground terminal of the chip, and a contact pad of the chip module that is used for grounding purposes.

15. The chip module of claim 14, wherein except for a feeding point, a first antenna element of the at least one antenna element is separated from the second antenna element by a minimum between 1 mm and 3 mm.

16. The chip module of claim 14, wherein the second antenna element covers a percentage of a largest area of the chip module between approximately 10 percent and approximately 95 percent.

17. The chip module of claim 14, wherein a first antenna element of the at least one antenna element and the second antenna element are provided on a same plane or on a same surface of the at least one dielectric substrate.

18. The chip module of claim 14, wherein a first antenna element of the at least one antenna element comprises a termination point which is closer to a chip module border than to the second antenna element, wherein the termination point is close to or at the chip module border which does not limit the first antenna element of the at least one antenna element.

19. The chip module of claim 14, wherein the second antenna element comprises at least one clearance, the at least one clearance being an area in a plane of the second antenna element where there is no portion of the second antenna element, and wherein the at least one clearance is used for locating at least one of the at least one antenna element, the contact means, the contact pads, and a chip that extends into the plane of the second antenna element.

20. The chip module of claim 19, wherein the at least one clearance accommodates the at least one antenna element and is provided next to a notch of the chip module.

21. The chip module of claim 19, wherein the at least one clearance accommodates the contact pads and is made such that it surrounds and encloses the contact pads in a view perpendicular onto the chip module.

22. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna element comprises at least four segments, wherein the at least four segments comprise straight segments, curved segments, or a combination thereof.

23. The chip module of claim 22, wherein right and left curved segments are provided and/or angles to the left and to the right are provided at connection points of the straight segment.

24. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna element is shaped according to at least one of a space filling curve, a box counting curve, a grid dimension curve, and a multilevel structure.

25. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the chip module comprises a notch in one corner in order to identify an orientation of the chip module and a location of optional contact pads.

26. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna element comprises at least one of a slot, a monopole, a dipole, and a part of a dipole.

27. The chip module of claim 1, further comprising:

a network arranged between the radiofrequency circuit and the at least one antenna element; and

wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of a passive network, an active network, a matching network, a filter, a balun network, and combinations thereof.

28. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the chip module is operable for operation in a far field such that data is transmitted via a wireless connection between devices which are separated by more than a half-wavelength;

and

wherein said wireless operation occurs in a range of about 3 to 5 meters.

29. The chip module of claim 1, wherein operation frequencies are above 800 MHz.

30. The chip module of claim 1, wherein the radiofrequency circuit is arranged in the chip.

31. The chip module of claim 1, further comprising a second chip, the second chip including the radiofrequency circuit.

32. A wireless device comprising:

a first ground plane;

a battery; and

a chip module, the chip module comprising;

a chip having at least one of memory and microprocessor functionalities;

a radiofrequency circuit; and

at least one antenna element having a driving point and being connected to an RF-terminal of the radiofrequency circuit;

a second ground plane, the second ground plane acting in cooperation with the at least one antenna element;

contact means operable to connect the chip directly through a direct electric contact, the contact means comprising contact pads accessible from an outside of the chip module; and

at least one dielectric substrate on which the chip, the radiofrequency circuit, the at least one antenna element, the second ground plane, and the contact means are arranged.

33. The wireless device of claim 32, wherein a first antenna element of the at least one antenna element is separated from the ground plane and the battery by more than about 0.5 mm but less than about 5 mm.

34. The wireless device of claim 32, wherein the second ground plane is connected to the first ground plane.

35. The wireless device of claim 32, further comprising:

a member;

wherein the member is selected from the list consisting of a display, a digital connector, a power supply connector, a Bluetooth/WIFI antenna, an antenna of a mobile telephone system, and combinations thereof; and

wherein the chip module is separated from a ground contact of said member by at least 20 percent of a largest extension of the wireless device.

36. The wireless device of claim 32, wherein the wireless device comprises a chip module holder made of plastic or dielectric materials.

37. The wireless device of claim 32, wherein the chip module further comprises:

a second antenna element; and

wherein the chip module is arranged in such an orientation that a first antenna element of the at least one antenna element shows to a periphery while the second antenna element shows towards an interior of the wireless device when the chip module is substantially parallel to the ground plane of the wireless device.

38. The wireless device of claim 32, wherein the chip module is removable from the wireless device.

39. A method for wireless communication comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between a chip module of a wireless device and a device outside of the wireless device, the device being separated from the wireless device by more than a free space operating wavelength of the wireless device;

reading out information from the at least one chip;

wherein the chip module comprises;

a chip having at least one of memory and microprocessor functionalities;

a radiofrequency circuit;

at least one antenna element having a driving point and being connected to an RF-terminal of the radiofrequency circuit;

contact means operable to connect the chip directly through direct electric contact, the contact means comprising contact pads accessible from an outside of the chip module; and

at least one dielectric substrate on which the chip, the radiofrequency circuit, the at least one antenna element, and the contact means are arranged;

wherein the driving point is separated from an edge of the chip module by at least 1 mm and not more than 11 mm; and

wherein the driving point is located not further away from the RF-terminal than 50 percent of a largest extension of the chip module.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein with the step of reading out information, the device is operable to perform actions only possible with data of the chip module;

and

wherein the actions include at least one action from the group consisting of a financial transaction, a telephone call, a remote payment transaction with a mobile phone or the wireless device without connecting to a mobile or cellular network, and combinations thereof.