Booster antenna configurations and methods

• US 9,195,932 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmaTech Group Limited (Paragon Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Féinics AmaTech Teoranta (Paragon Group Limited)
• Inventors: Finn, David, Lotya, Mustafa, Ummenhofer, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US14/173,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20150021402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07794 the record carrier comprising a booster or auxiliary antenna in addition to the antenna connected directly to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• 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: H05K 1/0239 Signal transmission by AC coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09036 Recesses or grooves in insulating substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10287 Metal wires as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0285 Using ultrasound, e.g. for cleaning, soldering or wet treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/103 by bonding or embedding conductive wires or strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49162 by using wire as conductive path

Abstract

A booster antenna (BA) for a smart card comprises a card antenna (CA) component extending around a periphery of a card body (CB), a coupler coil (CC) component at a location for an antenna module (AM), and an extension antenna (EA) contributing to the inductance of the booster antenna (BA). A method of wire embedding is also disclosed, by controlling a force and ultrasonic power applied by an embedding tool at different positions on the card body (CB).

Claims

1. A booster antenna (BA) comprising a card antenna (CA) component extending around a periphery of a card body (CB), a coupler coil (CC) component disposed at a coupling area of the card body (CB) corresponding to an antenna module (AM), and an extension antenna (EA) component, characterized by:

the extension antenna (EA) component has a sense opposite to that from the card antenna (CA) component.

2. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 1, wherein the coupler coil (CC) component has a sense which is the same as the sense of the extension antenna (EA) component.

3. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 1, wherein the card antenna (CA) component has an outer winding (OW) and an inner winding (IW).

4. A smart card (SC) incorporating the booster antenna (BA) of claim 1.

5. Booster antenna (BA) comprising the following components:

a card antenna (CA) component;

a coupler coil (CC) component; and

an extension antenna (EA) component;

characterized in that;

at least one of the components has a sense which is opposite one or more of the other components.

6. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 5, wherein:

at least one of the components comprises an outer winding (OW, ow) and an inner winding (IW, iw).

7. The booster antenna of claim 5, wherein:

at least some of the components have innermost and outermost turns;

at least one of the components is laid from an innermost turn to an outermost turn; and

at least another of the components is laid from an outermost turn to an innermost turn.

8. Booster antenna (BA) comprising:

a card antenna (CA) component;

a coupler coil (CC) component;

a first capacitive stub connected with the coupler coil (CC) component; and

a second capacitive stub connected with the card antenna (CA) component.

9. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 8, wherein:

the two capacitive stubs are each formed in a flat coil pattern having a number of turns.

10. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 8, wherein:

the two capacitive stubs are substantially identical with one another.