NFC module, in particular for mobile phone

• US 8,260,199 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jacek Kowalski
• Original Assignee: Jacek Kowalski
• Inventors: Kowalski, Jacek
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHARLES CHIANG
• Application Number:
  US11/750,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20080245851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/424, 455/425, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/561, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/415, 455/412.1, 455/558, 455/557, 455/575.6, 455/434, 455/41.2, 340/853.9, 340/854.8, 340/854.6, 340/855.1, 340/870.15, 340/870.03, 340/870.11, 325/472, 325/462, 325/383, 370/252, 370/338, 235/462.25, 235/462.45, 235/462.49, 235/472.02, 235/472.03
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention comprises a functional module for storing and exchanging data, comprising a common portable support, at least one passive contactless integrated circuit in the form of a first semi-conductor chip, a contactless integrated circuit reader in the form of a second semi-conductor chip, the contactless integrated circuit and the reader being gathered on or in the common portable support, an antenna coil of the contactless integrated circuit, connected to the contactless integrated circuit, an antenna coil of the reader, connected to the reader, the antenna coil of the contactless integrated circuit being coupled to the antenna coil of the reader.

Claims

1. A method for storing and exchanging contactless data, comprising:

providing at least one Near Field Communication (NFC) passive contactless integrated circuit in the form of a first semi-conductor chip, the passive contactless integrated circuit having a first contactless communication interface comprising a first antenna coil connected to the contactless integrated circuit;

providing an NFC contactless reader in the form of a second semi-conductor chip, the reader having a second contactless communication interface comprising a second antenna coil connected to the contactless reader;

providing a link circuit connected to the reader or integrated therein, the link circuit being different from the second contactless interface;

providing a common portable support;

gathering the contactless integrated circuit and the reader with the link circuit on or in the common portable support such that the first and second antenna coils are inductively coupled to one another to form an NFC functional module having both passive contactless integrated circuit functionality and reader functionality;

using the contactless integrated circuit to store data and to exchange data with an external device, through the first contactless communication interface;

using the reader to store data and to exchange data with an external device through the second contactless communication interface, including performing a sequence to set the contactless integrated circuit aside with respect to the data exchange with the external device;

causing the contactless integrated circuit and the reader to exchange data through the first and second contactless communication interfaces and through the first and second antenna coils;

causing the reader to exchange data with a master device via the link circuit, the master device being one of a mobile phone, earphones, PDA, game console, portable audio or video player, or a personal computer; and

transferring to the master device, via the link circuit, data read in the contactless integrated circuit.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising providing in the functional module at least one additional antenna coil to perform at least one of the following functions:

increasing the communication distance of the contactless integrated circuit,

coupling the antenna coil of the contactless integrated circuit and the antenna coil of the reader, and

increasing the coupling rate between the antenna coil of the contactless integrated circuit and the antenna coil of the reader.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising configuring the reader so that it executes:

a command of reading or writing the contactless integrated circuit,

a command of reading or writing an external device,

a command of transferring to the master device, via the link circuit, data read in the contactless integrated circuit, and

a command of transferring to the master device, via the link circuit, data read in the external device.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising providing in the functional module a Bluetooth®

interface circuit as the link circuit.

5. A method according to claim 1, comprising providing in the functional module a contact connector as the link circuit.

6. A method according to claim 1, comprising mounting at least one of the reader or the contactless integrated circuit on or in the portable support by means of an intermediate support.

7. A method according to claim 1, comprising integrating the functional module in an earphone of a mobile phone, linking the reader to a processor of the earphone, and transmitting to the processor data received by the reader or the contactless integrated circuit by inductive coupling.

8. A method according to claim 1, comprising providing in the functional module an electric power supply to energize the reader, the electric power supply including an electric battery or a capacitor electrically charged by a remote power feeding circuit.

9. A method according to claim 1, comprising providing in the functional module an NFC reader comprising a reader operating mode and an emulation operating mode wherein the reader emulates the operation of a contactless integrated circuit.

10. A method according to claim 1, comprising providing in the contactless integrated circuit an encryption circuit to perform secured transactions comprising a step of authentication of the contactless integrated circuit.

11. A method according to claim 1 comprising:

associating the functional module with a master device,

writing data into the contactless integrated circuit, by inductive coupling, by means of an external device, and energizing the contactless integrated circuit from a magnetic field supplied by the external device,

reading the data written in the contactless integrated circuit by means of the reader, and energizing the contactless integrated circuit from a magnetic field supplied by the reader, and

transferring to the master device, via the link circuit, the data read in the contactless integrated circuit.

12. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

associating the functional module with a master device,

sending data to the reader by means of the master device, via the link circuit,

writing the data in the contactless integrated circuit by means of the reader, and energizing the contactless integrated circuit from a magnetic field supplied by the reader, and

reading the data written in the contactless integrated circuit by means of an external device different from the master device, energizing the contactless integrated circuit from a magnetic field supplied by the external device, and memorizing the data in the external device.

13. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

integrating the functional module into a portable device forming a peripheral accessory of mobile phone, the portable device including a processor and the link circuit,

reading by inductive coupling an audio or video file by means of the reader, and

transferring the audio or video file to the processor of the portable device.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the audio or video file is read in the contactless integrated circuit.

15. A method according to claim 14, comprising writing in the contactless integrated circuit the audio or video file, by inductive coupling and by means of an external device, before reading the audio or video file by means of the reader.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the external device is a contactless integrated circuit reader or a Near Field Communication (NFC) component.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the external device is a contactless integrated circuit reader, and comprising switching the reader in a contactless integrated circuit emulation mode to receive the data from the external device.

18. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

when the contactless integrated circuit exchanges data with an external device, energizing the contactless integrated circuit from a magnetic field supplied by the external device, and

when the contactless integrated circuit exchanges data with the reader, energizing the contactless integrated circuit from a magnetic field supplied by the reader.

19. A Near Field Communication functional module, having both passive contactless integrated circuit functionality and reader functionality, for storing and exchanging data, comprising:

a common portable support,

at least one passive contactless integrated circuit in the form of a first semi-conductor chip, the passive contactless integrated circuit having a first contactless communication interface comprising a first antenna coil connected to the contactless integrated circuit,

a contactless integrated circuit reader in the form of a second semi-conductor chip, the reader having a second contactless communication interface comprising a second antenna coil connected to the contactless reader,

a link circuit connected to the reader or integrated therein, the link circuit being different from the second contactless interface, and wherein

the contactless integrated circuit and the reader with the link circuit are gathered on or in the common portable support such that the first and second antenna coils are inductively coupled to one another,

the reader is configured to store data and to exchange data through the second contactless communication interface with an external device after having performed a sequence to set the contactless integrated circuit aside with respect to the data exchange with the external device,

the contactless integrated circuit is configured to exchange data with an external device through the first contactless communication interface,

the contactless integrated circuit and the reader are also configured to exchange data through the first and second contactless communication interfaces and through the first and second antenna coils, and

the reader is configured to exchange data with a master device via the link circuit, the master device being one of a mobile phone, earphones, PDA, game console, portable audio or video player, or a personal computer, and to transfer to the master device, via the link circuit, data read in the contactless integrated circuit of the functional module.

20. A module according to claim 19, comprising an additional antenna coil ensuring at least one of the following functions:

increasing the communication distance of the contactless integrated circuit,

coupling the antenna coil of the contactless integrated circuit and the antenna coil of the reader, and

increasing the coupling rate between the antenna coil of the contactless integrated circuit and the antenna coil of the reader.

21. A module according to claim 19, wherein the reader is configured to receive via the link circuit and to execute:

a command of reading or writing the contactless integrated circuit,

a command of reading or writing an external device by inductive coupling,

a command of transferring via the link circuit data read in the contactless integrated circuit, and

a command of transferring via the link circuit data read in the external device.

22. A module according to claim 19, wherein the link circuit comprises a Bluetooth®

interface circuit.

23. A module according to claim 19, wherein the link circuit comprises a contact connector.

24. A module according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the reader and the contactless integrated circuit is mounted on or in the portable support by means of an intermediate support.

25. A module according to claim 19, comprising an electrical power supply to energize the reader, the electric power supply including an electric battery or a capacitor electrically charged by a remote power feeding circuit.

26. A module according to claim 19, wherein the reader is a Near Field Communication (NFC) component comprising an operating mode in which the NFC component emulates the operation of a contactless integrated circuit and may dialog with another reader.

27. A module according to claim 19, wherein the contactless integrated circuit is a secured circuit comprising an encryption circuit to make secured transactions comprising a step of authentication of the contactless integrated circuit.

28. An earphone of a mobile phone comprising a functional module according to claim 19, the reader being linked to a processor of the earphone and configured to transfer to the processor data received by inductive coupling by the reader or by the contactless integrated circuit.

29. A mobile phone comprising a functional module according to claim 19, the reader being linked to a processor of the mobile phone and configured to transfer to the processor data received by inductive coupling by the reader or by the contactless integrated circuit.

30. A module according to claim 19, wherein:

the contactless integrated circuit includes a power supply circuit configured to energize the contactless integrated circuit from a magnetic field received by the first contactless communication interface,

the contactless integrated circuit is energized by a magnetic field supplied by the external device when it exchanges data with an external device, and

the contactless integrated circuit is energized by a magnetic field supplied by the reader when it exchanges data with the reader.

31. A system for storing and exchanging data and having both passive contactless integrated circuit functionality and reader functionality, comprising:

a Near Field Communications (NFC) functional module, comprising;

a common portable support,

at least one passive contactless integrated circuit in the form of a first semi-conductor chip, the passive contactless integrated circuit having a first contactless communication interface comprising a first antenna coil connected to the contactless integrated circuit and a power supply circuit configured to energize the contactless integrated circuit from a magnetic field received by the first contactless communication interface,

a contactless integrated circuit reader in the form of a second semi-conductor chip, the reader having a second contactless communication interface comprising a second antenna coil connected to the contactless reader,

the contactless integrated circuit and the reader being gathered on or in the common portable support such that the first and second antenna coils are inductively coupled to one another to form the NFC functional module, and a link circuit connected thereto or integrated therein, the link circuit being different from the second contactless interface,

a master device linked to the reader by means of the link circuit, wherein;

the reader is configured to store data and to exchange data through the second contactless communication interface with an external device after having performed a sequence to set the contactless integrated circuit aside with respect to the data exchange with the external device, or with the contactless integrated circuit, and to exchange data with the master device through the link circuit,

the contactless integrated circuit is configured to exchange data with an external device through the first contactless communication interface,

the contactless integrated circuit and the reader are configured to exchange data through the first and second contactless communication interfaces and through the first and second antenna coils,

the master device is configured to read data in the contactless integrated circuit through the reader and the data link circuit,

the contactless integrated circuit is energized by a magnetic field supplied by the external device when it exchanges data with an external device, and

the contactless integrated circuit is energized by a magnetic field supplied by the reader when it exchanges data with the reader.

32. A system according to claim 31, wherein the reader is configured to execute the following commands, sent by the master device:

a command of reading or writing the contactless integrated circuit,

a command of reading or writing an external device different from the master device,

a command of transferring to the master device data read in the contactless integrated circuit, and

a command of transferring to the master device data read in the external device.

33. A system according to claim 31, wherein the link circuit comprises a Bluetooth®

interface circuit.

34. A system according to claim 31, wherein the link circuit comprises a contact connector.