Contactless communication medium, antenna pattern-placed medium, communication apparatus, and antenna adjusting method

• US 8,774,712 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Keisuke, Saitoh, Sachio
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): TALUKDER, MD K
• Application Number:
  US13/066,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/575.5, 455/121, 343/748, 343/701, 343/767, 343/793, 343/867, 343/850, 343/906, 343/865, 340/10.1, 340/933, 296/00
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A contactless communication medium includes a base made of an insulating material, an antenna coil section including a conductor wound in a planar shape on the base, an inductance adjusting conductor pattern that is connected in parallel to a part of the conductor in the antenna coil section, and is placed on the base, a capacitor connected to the antenna coil section, and a communication processing section that is connected to the antenna coil section and the capacitor to perform contactless communication processing.

Claims

1. A contactless communication medium comprising:

a base made of an insulating material;

an antenna coil section including a conductor wound in a planar shape on the base;

an inductance adjusting circuit that is connected to a part of the conductor in the antenna coil section, and is placed on the base;

a capacitor connected to the antenna coil section; and

a communication processing section that is connected to the antenna coil section and the capacitor to perform contactless communication processing,

in which the inductance adjusting circuit has a first conductor pattern, a second conductor pattern, and a third conductor pattern connected in parallel such that (i) one end of each of the first conductor pattern and the third conductor pattern are connected at a first connecting point to the antenna coil section, (ii) one end of the second conductor pattern is connected to the first conductor pattern at a second connecting point which is located between ends of the first conductor pattern and by the one end of the first conductor pattern, (iii) another end of each of the first conductor pattern and the second conductor pattern are connected at a third connecting point to the antenna coil section, and (iv) another end of the third conductor pattern is directly connected to the antenna coil section.

2. The contactless communication medium according to claim 1,

wherein the capacitor includes an adjusting capacitor that adjusts an inductance.

3. The contactless communication medium according to claim 2,

wherein an adjustment to increase an inductance value is made by trimming some or all of the first conductor pattern, the second conductor pattern, and the third conductor pattern.

4. The contactless communication medium according to claim 3,

wherein the communication processing section is actuated by electric power received by the antenna coil section and stored in the capacitor.

5. The contactless communication medium according to claim 4, further comprising:

a magnetic sheet that is placed so as to overlap the base, and has a through hole provided at a position where the cutting off is done.

9. The contactless communication medium according to claim 1, in which a midway point on the first conductor pattern is a first trimming position, the third connecting point is a second trimming position, and the first connecting point is a third trimming position, and in which any one or ones of the first trimming position, the second trimming position, and the third trimming position are usable to adjust an inductance value of the inductance adjusting circuit.

10. The contactless communication medium according to claim 1, in which a point on the first conductor pattern located between the second connecting point and the third connecting point is a first trimming position, the third connecting point is a second trimming position, and the first connecting point is a third trimming position.

11. The contactless communication medium according to claim 10, in which when only the first trimming position is removed the first conductor pattern is disconnected such that the second conductor pattern and the third conductor pattern remain connected to the antenna coil section, when only the second trimming position is removed the first conductor pattern and the second conductor pattern are disconnected such that the third conductor pattern remains connected to the antenna coil section, and when only the third trimming position is removed the first conductor pattern and the second conductor pattern and the third conductor pattern are disconnected such that none of the first, second or third conductor patterns remain connected to the antenna coil section.

6. An antenna pattern-placed medium comprising:

a base made of an insulating material;

an antenna coil section including a conductor wound in a planar shape on the base; and

an inductance adjusting circuit that is connected to a part of the conductor in the antenna coil section,

in which the inductance adjusting circuit has a first conductor pattern, a second conductor pattern, and a third conductor pattern connected in parallel such that (i) one end of each of the first conductor pattern and the third conductor pattern are connected at a first connecting point to the antenna coil section, (ii) one end of the second conductor pattern is connected to the first conductor pattern at a second connecting point which is located by the one end of the first conductor pattern, (iii) another end of each of the first conductor pattern and the second conductor pattern are connected at a third connecting point to the antenna coil section, and (iv) another end of the third conductor pattern is directly connected to the antenna coil section.

7. A communication apparatus comprising:

a base made of an insulating material;

an antenna coil section including a conductor wound in a planar shape on the base;

an inductance adjusting circuit that is connected to a part of the conductor in the antenna coil section, and is placed on the base;

a capacitor connected to the antenna coil section; and

a communication processing section that is connected to the antenna coil section and the capacitor to perform contactless communication processing,

in which the inductance adjusting circuit has a first conductor pattern, a second conductor pattern, and a third conductor pattern connected in parallel such that (i) one end of each of the first conductor pattern and the third conductor pattern are connected at a first connecting point to the antenna coil section, (ii) one end of the second conductor pattern is connected to the first conductor pattern at a second connecting point which is located by the one end of the first conductor pattern, (iii) another end of each of the first conductor pattern and the second conductor pattern are connected at a third connecting point to the antenna coil section, and (iv) another end of the third conductor pattern is directly connected to the antenna coil section.

8. An antenna adjusting method comprising:

placing an antenna coil section by winding a conductor in a planar shape, on a base made of an insulating material;

connecting an inductance adjusting circuit to a part of the conductor in the antenna coil section, in which the inductance adjusting circuit has a first conductor pattern, a second conductor pattern, and a third conductor pattern connected in parallel such that (i) one end of each of the first conductor pattern and the third conductor pattern are connected at a first connecting point to the antenna coil section, (ii) one end of the second conductor pattern is connected to the first conductor pattern at a second connecting point which is located by the one end of the first conductor pattern, (iii) another end of each of the first conductor pattern and the second conductor pattern are connected at a third connecting point to the antenna coil section, and (iv) another end of the third conductor pattern is directly connected to the antenna coil section; and

making an adjustment to increase an inductance value by trimming some or all of the three conductor patterns.