Mobile wireless communications device including NFC antenna matching control circuit and associated methods

• US 8,934,837 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2013
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Zhu, Lizhong, Zhu, Libo, Gondosch, Robert Michael Philip, MacKenzie, Craig Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/733,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20140187153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/410, 455/558, 455/575.5, 455/575.7, 455/562.1
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device includes a near-field communications (NFC) transceiver, NFC antennas and an NFC control circuit. The NFC transceiver generates a received signal strength based on a received signal from an adjacent NFC device. The NFC control circuit includes an antenna switch circuit coupled between the NFC transceiver and the NFC antennas. A capacitance sensing circuit is coupled to the NFC antennas to determine capacitance values thereof. A processor operates the antenna switch circuit based upon the received signal strength and the capacitance values.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a near-field communications (NFC) transceiver configured to generate a received signal strength based on a received signal from an adjacent NFC device;

a plurality of NFC antennas; and

an NFC control circuit comprising

an antenna switch circuit coupled between said NFC transceiver and said plurality of NFC antennas,

a capacitance sensing circuit coupled to said plurality of NFC antennas and configured to determine capacitance values thereof, and

a processor configured to operate said antenna switch circuit based upon the received signal strength and the capacitance values.

2. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1 wherein said capacitance sensing circuit comprises a plurality of capacitance sensors, with each NFC antenna having a capacitance sensor associated therewith.

3. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 2 wherein each capacitance sensor comprises a first plate adjacent a respective NFC antenna which functions as a second plate cooperating with the first plate.

4. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 2 wherein the adjacent NFC device comprises an NFC device antenna;

and wherein said processor is configured to determine at least one of the following based on the received signal strength and the capacitance values to operate said antenna switch;

a distance to the NFC device antenna, a size of the NFC device antenna, and a center of the NFC device antenna.

5. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1 wherein said NFC control circuit further comprises an NFC antenna tuning circuit coupled between said NFC transceiver and said antenna switch circuit.

6. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 5 wherein said NFC control circuit further comprises a signal rectification circuit coupled to said NFC antenna tuning circuit and configured to provide a peak-to-peak voltage signal;

and wherein said processor is configured to control said NFC antenna tuning circuit based on the peak-to-peak voltage signal.

7. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1 wherein said NFC control circuit further comprises:

a signal coupling circuit coupled to said antenna switch circuit and comprising a reader mode output signal path and a card emulation mode output signal path;

a card emulation mode dynamic control circuit coupled to the card emulation mode output signal path; and

a reader mode dynamic control circuit coupled to the reader mode output signal path;

wherein said processor is configured to adjust a dynamic range of a signal received by said card emulation mode dynamic control circuit when said NFC control circuit is in a card emulation mode, and to adjust a dynamic range of a signal received by said reader mode dynamic control circuit when said NFC control circuit is in a reader mode.

8. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 7 wherein the signal received by said reader mode dynamic control circuit includes the received signal from the adjacent NFC device used by said NFC transceiver to generate the received signal strength.

9. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to receive a control signal to operate said NFC control circuit in a card emulation mode or in a reader mode.

10. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a near-field communications (NFC) transceiver configured to generate a received signal strength based on a received signal from an adjacent NFC device;

a plurality of NFC antennas; and

an NFC control circuit comprising

an antenna switch circuit coupled between said NFC transceiver and said plurality of NFC antennas,

a capacitance sensing circuit comprising a plurality of capacitance sensors coupled to said plurality of NFC antennas, and configured to determine capacitance values thereof, and

a processor configured to

receive a control signal to operate said NFC control circuit in a card emulation mode or in a reader mode, and

operate said antenna switch circuit based upon the received signal strength and the capacitance values.

11. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 10 wherein with each NFC antenna has a capacitance sensor associated therewith, and wherein each capacitance sensor comprises a pair of spaced apart plates, with a first plate adjacent a respective NFC antenna which functions as a second plate cooperating with the first plate

12. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 10 wherein said NFC control circuit further comprises an NFC antenna tuning circuit coupled between said NFC transceiver and said antenna switch circuit.

13. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 12 wherein said NFC control circuit further comprises a signal rectification circuit coupled to said NFC antenna tuning circuit and configured to provide a peak-to-peak voltage signal;

and wherein said processor is configured to control said NFC antenna tuning circuit based on the peak-to-peak voltage signal.

14. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 10 wherein said NFC control circuit further comprises:

a signal coupling circuit coupled to said antenna switch circuit and comprising a reader mode output signal path and a card emulation mode output signal path;

a card emulation mode dynamic control circuit coupled to the card emulation mode output signal path; and

a reader mode dynamic control circuit coupled to the reader mode output signal path;

wherein said processor is configured to adjust a dynamic range of a signal received by said card emulation mode dynamic control circuit when said NFC control circuit is in a card emulation mode, and to adjust a dynamic range of a signal received by said reader mode dynamic control circuit when said NFC control circuit is in a reader mode.

15. A method for operating a mobile wireless communications device comprising a near-field communications (NFC) transceiver;

a plurality of NFC antennas; and

an NFC control circuit comprising an antenna switch circuit coupled between the NFC transceiver and plurality of NFC antennas, a capacitance sensing circuit coupled to the plurality of NFC antennas, and a processor coupled to the antenna switch circuit and to the capacitive sensing circuit, the method comprising;

generating at the NFC transceiver a received signal strength based on a received signal from an adjacent NFC device;

determining capacitance values of the plurality of NFC antennas via a capacitance sensing circuit; and

operating the antenna switch circuit via the processor based upon the received signal strength and the capacitive values.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the capacitance sensing circuit comprises a plurality of capacitance sensors, with each NFC antenna having a capacitance sensor associated therewith.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein each capacitance sensor comprises a pair of spaced apart plates, with first plate adjacent a respective NFC antenna and a first plate adjacent a respective NFC antenna which functions as a second plate cooperating with the first plate.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the adjacent NFC device comprises an NFC device antenna;

and wherein operating the antenna switch further comprises operating the processor to determine at least one of the following based on the received signal strength and the capacitance values to operate the antenna switch;

a distance of the adjacent NFC device, a size of the NFC device antenna, and a center of the NFC device antenna.

19. The method according to claim 15 wherein the NFC control circuit further comprises an NFC antenna tuning circuit coupled between the NFC transceiver and the antenna switch circuit, the method further comprising controlling the NFC antenna tuning circuit to tune at least one of the plurality of NFC antennas.

20. The method according to claim 15 wherein the NFC control circuit further comprises a signal rectification circuit coupled to the NFC antenna tuning circuit to provide a peak-to-peak voltage signal;

and wherein controlling the NFC antenna tuning circuit is based on the peak-to-peak voltage signal.

21. The method according to claim 15 wherein the NFC control circuit further comprises a signal coupling circuit coupled to the antenna switch circuit and comprising a reader mode output signal path and a card emulation mode output signal path;

a card emulation mode dynamic control circuit coupled to the card emulation mode output signal path;

a reader mode dynamic control circuit coupled to the reader mode output signal path;

the method further comprising;

operating the processor to adjust a dynamic range of a signal received by the card emulation mode dynamic control circuit when the NFC control circuit is in a card emulation mode; and

operating the processor to adjust a dynamic range of a signal received by the reader mode dynamic control circuit when the NFC control circuit is in a reader mode.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the NFC transceiver is coupled to the reader mode dynamic control circuit, and the signal received by the reader mode dynamic control circuit includes the received signal from the adjacent NFC device used by the NFC transceiver to generate the received signal strength.

23. The method according to claim 15 wherein operating the processor comprises operating the processor to operate the NFC control circuit in a card emulation mode or in a reader mode based on receiving a control signal.