Near field communications (NFC) coil and proximity sensor for portable devices

• US 9,444,522 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Songnan, Konanur, Anand S., Karacaoglu, Ulun, Hsu, Hao-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US14/717,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20150333802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/75 for isolation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2025/03375 Passband transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03006 Arrangements for removing intersymbol interference
• 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

Abstract

Described herein are techniques related to near field coupling and proximity sensing operations. For example, a proximity sensor uses a coil antenna that is utilized for near field communications (NFC) functions. The proximity sensor may be integrated into an NFC module to form a single module.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

near field communications (NFC) circuitry adapted to process NFC electrical signals from a loop antenna having at least first and second loop antenna terminals;

proximity sensing circuitry adapted to process proximity sensing electrical signals from the loop antenna;

a low pass filter adapted to substantially isolate the proximity sensing electrical signals from the NFC electrical signals, wherein the low pass filter comprises at least one passive device coupled in series between the proximity sensing circuitry and the first loop antenna terminal; and

a high pass filter adapted to substantially isolate the NFC electrical signals from the proximity sensing electrical signals.

2. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the NFC circuitry comprises first and second terminals and wherein the high pass filter comprises:

a first capacitor coupled in series between the first terminal of the NFC circuitry and the first loop antenna terminal; and

a second capacitor coupled in series between the second terminal of the NFC circuitry and the second loop antenna terminal.

3. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the low pass filter substantially blocks signals at approximately 13.57 MHz and substantially passes signals at approximately 30 KHz.

4. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the low pass filter substantially blocks signals in a megahertz range and substantially passes signals in a kilohertz range.

5. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the high pass filter substantially passes signals at approximately 13.57 MHz and substantially blocks signals at approximately 30 KHz.

6. The portable electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the high pass filter substantially passes signals in a megahertz range and substantially blocks signals in a kilohertz range.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

near field communications (NFC) circuitry adapted to process NFC electrical signals from a loop antenna having at least a first loop antenna terminal;

proximity sensing circuitry adapted to process proximity sensing electrical signals from the loop antenna; and

passive filtering elements adapted to isolate the proximity sensing electrical signals from the NFC circuitry from and adapted to isolate the NFC electrical signals from the proximity sensing circuitry, wherein the passive filtering elements comprise;

first and second capacitors each of which is coupled in series between the NFC circuitry and the loop antenna; and

a passive device coupled in series between the proximity sensing circuitry and the loop antenna.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7, wherein the loop antenna comprise a spiral-shaped antenna.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 7, wherein the loop antenna comprise a multiple loop spiral-shaped antenna.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 7, wherein the passive device comprises a resistor.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 7, wherein the loop antenna comprises first and second loop antenna terminals, wherein the first capacitor is coupled in series between the NFC circuitry and the first loop antenna terminal, and wherein the second capacitor is coupled in series between the NFC circuitry and the second loop antenna terminal.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the passive device comprises a resistor coupled in series between the proximity sensing circuitry and the first loop antenna terminal.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12, wherein, at least for frequencies associated with the proximity sensing electrical signals, the proximity sensing circuitry is only electrically coupled to the second loop antenna terminal through the first loop antenna terminal and through the loop antenna.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 7, wherein, at least for frequencies associated with the proximity sensing electrical signals, the loop antenna is electrically coupled to the proximity sensing circuitry as an open-ended loop antenna.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 7, wherein, at least for frequencies associated with the NFC electrical signals, the loop antenna is electrically coupled to the NFC circuitry as a close-ended loop antenna.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory configured to the one or more processors; and

a near field communications (NFC) component coupled to the one or more processors and memory, adapted to process an NFC electrical signal from an antenna adapted transmit and receive electrical signals, which include a proximity sensing electrical signal and the near field communications (NFC) electrical signal;

a proximity sensor component configured to the one or more processors and memory, adapted to process the proximity sensing electrical signal; and

a first filter adapted to isolate the proximity sensing electrical signal from the near field communications (NFC) electrical signal, wherein the first filter comprises at least one passive device coupled in series between the proximity sensor component and the antenna.

17. The system defined in claim 16 wherein the first filter comprises a low pass filter.

18. The system defined in claim 16 further comprising:

a second filter adapted to isolate the NFC electrical signal from the proximity sensing electrical signal, wherein the antenna includes first and second antenna terminals, wherein the NFC component comprises first and second terminals, and wherein the second filter comprises;

a first capacitor coupled in series between the first terminal of the NFC component and the first antenna terminal; and

a second capacitor coupled in series between the second terminal of the NFC component and the second antenna terminal.

19. The system defined in claim 18 wherein the first filter comprises a low pass filter and wherein the second filter comprises a high pass filter.

20. The system defined in claim 16, wherein, at least for frequencies associated with the proximity sensing electrical signal, the antenna is electrically coupled to the proximity sensor component as an open-ended loop antenna.

21. The system defined in claim 16, wherein, at least for frequencies associated with the NFC component, the antenna is electrically coupled to the NFC component as a close-ended loop antenna.