Portable terminal comprising near field communication module and method for operating the same

• US 8,565,674 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Seol, Dong Beom, Nam, Jang Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/492,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/550.1, 455/574, 340/10.1, 340/10.33, 340/10.34, 340/10.4, 330/127, 330/207.R, 330/310
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable terminal operable in a tag mode a read mode and a method for operating the terminal are provided. The portable terminal includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) module including a plurality of amplifiers, a mode selector for controlling the plurality of amplifiers to perform a power supplying operation and a power cutting operation, a controller for outputting a control signal to the mode selector according to the tag mode and the read mode, and a selection signal line for transmitting the control signal to the mode selector.

Claims

1. A portable terminal operable in a tag mode and a read mode, the portable terminal comprising:

a Near Field Communication (NFC) module comprising a plurality of amplifiers;

an antenna assembly comprising a plurality of antenna modules respectively connected to the plurality of amplifiers;

a mode selector for controlling the plurality of amplifiers to perform a power supplying operation and a power cutting operation; and

a controller for outputting a control signal to the mode selector according to the tag mode and the read mode,

wherein, in the tag mode, the controller outputs a control signal to the mode selector to cut power supplied to parts of the plurality of amplifiers, and

wherein, in the read mode, the controller outputs a control signal to the mode selector to continue to supply power to the plurality of amplifiers.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch located between at least one of the antenna modules and ground; and

a control signal line for transmitting a control signal from the controller to the switch.

3. The portable terminal of claim 2, wherein, in the tag mode, the controller outputs a control signal to the switch to float at least one of the antenna modules.

4. The portable terminal of claim 2, wherein, in the read mode, the controller outputs a control signal to the switch to ground the antenna.

5. The portable terminal of claim 2, wherein the NFC module comprises a first port for performing signal transmitting and receiving operations in the tag mode, and a second port in the read mode.

6. The portable terminal of claim 5, wherein the NFC module comprises a first amplifier and a second amplifier, the first amplifier and the second amplifier being connected to the first port, and the second amplifier being connected to the second port.

7. The portable terminal of claim 6, wherein the antenna assembly comprises the first antenna module, connected to the first amplifier and the second amplifier, and the second antenna module connected to the second amplifier.

8. The portable terminal of claim 5, wherein the first port, the first amplifier and the first antenna module establish a first path during the tag mode.

9. The portable terminal of claim 5, wherein, in the read mode the second port, the first amplifier and the first antenna module establish a first path, and the second port, the second amplifier and the second antenna module establish a second path.

10. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the NFC module receives a magnetic signal transmitted from other devices during the tag mode, and transmits a magnetic signal into the air during the read mode.

11. A method for operating a portable terminal in a tag mode or a read mode, wherein the portable terminal comprises a Near Field Communication (NFC) module comprising a first amplifier and a second amplifier, and an antenna assembly comprising a first antenna module and a second antenna module, the method comprising:

determining whether to set the NFC module to the tag mode or the read mode;

cutting power supplied to the second amplifier and floating the second antenna when the NFC module is set to the tag mode; and

supplying power to the first amplifier and the second amplifier and grounding the first antenna module and the second antenna module to ground when NFC module is set to the read mode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising establishing, when the NFC module is set to the tag mode, a first path comprising the first amplifier and the first antenna module.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, when the NFC module is set to the tag mode, a magnetic field signal transmitted from other terminals via a first path.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

establishing, when the NFC module is set to the read mode, a first path comprising the first amplifier and the first antenna module; and

establishing, when the NFC module is set to the read mode, a second path comprising the second amplifier and the second antenna module.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, when the NFC module is set to the read mode, a magnetic field signal to the air via the first path and the second path.