Communications device and method for having integrated NFC antenna and touch screen display

• US 8,718,553 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Parekh, Premal, Singh, Amit Pal, Dippel, Jeffery John Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US13/359,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20130196596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/73, 455/550.1, 345/156, 345/168, 345/173
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

A communications device includes a housing and a wireless transceiver and processor carried by the housing and operative with each other. A Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit is carried by the housing and coupled to the processor. A touch screen display is connected to the processor. An NFC antenna is integrated with the touch screen display and coupled to the NFC circuit.

Claims

1. A communications device, comprising:

a housing;

a wireless transceiver and processor carried by the housing and operative with each other;

a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit carried by said housing and coupled to the processor;

a touch screen display connected to the processor;

an NFC antenna integrated with the touch screen display and coupled to the NFC circuit; and

wherein said touch screen display comprises a touch sensor pattern formed as alternating transmit and receive capacitive sensor lines and said NFC antenna is integrated within the touch sensor pattern and includes loop elements positioned over receive capacitive sensor lines.

2. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein said touch sensor pattern comprises a plurality of floating capacitive sensor islands.

3. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein said touch screen display comprises an elongate input touch pad formed as a layer of transparent conductive material.

4. The communications device according to claim 3, wherein said transparent conductive material comprises an indium tin oxide (ITO) touch pattern.

5. The communications device according to claim 4, wherein said NFC antenna is etched within the ITO touch pattern.

6. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to display on the touch screen display a user interface.

7. The communications device according to claim 1, wherein said housing is configured as a handheld portable wireless communications device.

8. A communications device, comprising:

a housing;

a processor carried by the housing;

a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit carried by said housing and coupled to the processor;

a touch screen display connected to the processor;

an NFC antenna integrated with the touch screen display and coupled to the NFC circuit; and

wherein said touch screen display comprises a touch sensor pattern formed as alternating transmit and receive capacitive sensor lines and said NFC antenna is integrated within the touch sensor pattern and includes loop elements positioned over receive capacitive sensor lines.

9. The communications device according to claim 8, wherein said touch sensor pattern comprises a plurality of floating capacitive sensor islands.

10. The communications device according to claim 8, wherein said touch screen display comprises an elongate input touch pad formed as a layer of transparent conductive material.

11. The communications device according to claim 10, wherein said transparent conductive material comprises an indium tin oxide (ITO) touch pattern.

12. A method of making a communications device, comprising:

providing a wireless transceiver and processor coupled to the wireless transceiver, a Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit coupled to the processor and a touch screen display connected to the processor;

integrating an NFC antenna with the touch screen display and coupled to the NFC circuit;

forming the touch screen display as a touch sensor pattern formed as alternating transmit and receive capacitive sensor lines;

forming loop elements in the NFC antenna; and

positioning the loop elements over receive capacitive sensor lines.

13. The method according to claim 12, and further comprising forming a plurality of floating capacitive sensor islands.

14. The method according to claim 12, and further comprising forming a layer of transparent conductive material.

15. The method according to claim 14, and further comprising forming the transparent conductive material as an indium tin oxide (ITO) touch pattern.