Tuning a NFC antenna of a device

• US 9,396,368 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Lamba, Kartik, Wade, Jeremy, Maibach, Matthew H., Dorogusker, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Application Number:
  US14/868,261
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/486, 235/487, 235/488, 235/375
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10148 the step consisting of dynamically tuning the resonant circuit of the interrogation device that is emitting the interrogation signal, e.g. for impedance matching inside of the interrogation device for tuning related to loop aerials in general H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• 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: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A NFC object reader'"'"'s NFC antenna system configured to dynamically change an element of the NFC antenna system to maintain the NFC antenna system'"'"'s antenna default resonant frequency. The NFC antenna system can be configured to include a tuning subsystem, integrated with sensors to trigger tuning of NFC antenna system'"'"'s antenna.

Claims

1. A payment object reader comprising:

a near field communication (NFC) antenna configured for reading a NFC enabled object, wherein the NFC antenna is subject to detuning away from a predetermined resonant frequency of the NFC antenna when a metal or conductive portion of the NFC enabled object is within a detuning distance from the NFC antenna;

a proximity sensor configured to detect that the NFC enabled object is within the detuning distance relative to the NFC antenna;

a NFC tuning subsystem configured to control the tuning of the NFC antenna when the proximity sensor detects that the NFC enabled payment object is within the detuning distance relative to the NFC antenna, wherein the tuning of the NFC antenna is controlled to allow reading the NFC enabled payment object when the NFC enabled payment object is within the detuning distance; and

wherein the proximity sensor includes a tamper mesh connected to an inductance measuring circuit, and wherein the inductance measuring circuit is configured to detect a change in inductance caused by the proximity of a metal object to the tamper mesh.

2. The payment object reader of claim 1, wherein the NFC tuning subsystem includes a variable capacitor that is controlled to keep a resonant frequency of the NFC antenna near a predetermined resonant frequency.

3. The payment object reader of claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerometer connected to the NFC tuning subsystem configured to output a device movement state, wherein when the device movement state indicates that the payment object reader is moving, the NFC tuning subsystem is configured to delay tuning of the NFC antenna.

4. The payment object reader of claim 1, wherein the NFC tuning subsystem includes a first capacitor with a first capacitance connected to a first switch, and a second capacitor with a second capacitance connected to a second switch.

5. A payment object reader comprising:

a near field communication (NFC) antenna configured for reading a NFC enabled object;

a proximity sensor configured to detect that the NFC enabled object is within a detuning distance relative to the NFC antenna;

a NFC tuning subsystem configured to control the tuning of the NFC antenna when the proximity sensor detects that the NFC enabled payment object is within the detuning distance relative to the NFC antenna; and

wherein the proximity sensor includes a tamper mesh connected to an inductance measuring circuit, wherein the inductance measuring circuit is configured to detect a change in inductance caused by the proximity of a metal object to the tamper mesh.

6. The payment object reader of claim 5, wherein the NFC tuning subsystem includes a variable capacitor that is controlled to keep a resonant frequency of the NFC antenna near a predetermined resonant frequency.

7. The payment object reader of claim 6, wherein the NFC tuning subsystem is configured to increase a voltage applied to the NFC antenna.

8. The payment object reader of claim 5, wherein the NFC tuning subsystem includes a first capacitor with a first capacitance connected to a first switch, and a second capacitor with a second capacitance connected to a second switch.

9. The payment object reader of claim 8, wherein the first switch is configured to be closed and to connect first capacitor to the antenna when a payment card is within a first detuning distance from the payment object reader.

10. The payment object reader of claim 9, wherein the second switch is configured to be closed and to connect second capacitor to the antenna when a payment card is within a second detuning distance from the payment object reader, the second detuning distance being less than the first detuning distance.

11. The payment object reader of claim 5, wherein the proximity sensor includes an infrared transmitter and photo detector.

12. The payment object reader of claim 5, wherein the proximity sensor includes a camera and processor configured to process a digital image.

13. The payment object reader of claim 5, further comprising:

an accelerometer connected to the NFC tuning subsystem configured to output a device movement state, wherein when the device movement state indicates that the payment object reader is moving, the NFC tuning subsystem is configured to delay tuning of the NFC antenna.

14. The NFC payment object reader of claim 13, wherein the tuning subsystem is further configured to tune the NFC antenna subsystem when the tamper mesh operatively detects the change in inductance caused by the proximity of the metal object to the tamper mesh.

15. A method comprising:

detecting a proximity of a payment object to an NFC antenna by a proximity detector; and

tuning the NFC antenna to compensate for the proximity of the payment object;

wherein the proximity detector is a tamper mesh connected to an inductance measuring circuit, wherein the inductance measuring circuit is configured to detect a change in inductance caused by the proximity of a metal object to the tamper mesh.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tuning includes controlling a variable capacitor that is to keep a resonant frequency of the NFC antenna near a predetermined resonant frequency.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the tuning includes increasing a voltage applied to an NFC antenna.